I have hit the point that I need to know what I have and know where it is. I can't really share my stories right now. There is so much stray data in my head that I can't talk about most of my ancestors without my large file open in front of me. Right now, I don't really feel like I have a family tree - it is more like family spaghetti!! I know I remember that bit from somewhere......but where??
My goal for now is a complete genealogy reorganization of what I have and how I use it. I must get a better handle on it for several reasons.
1) I want to make more of this blog - it will help me with my other ultimate goals.
2) I have to get all I have learned into small comprehensible nuggets to share with family - otherwise, what is the point of all the time I have spent. I doubt my kids will wade thru all the files that I have accumulated. I need to make sense of it so they will see it is important.
3) I hope to take a genealogy trip in the fall and better organization now will result in better use of time while on the trip.
I have been following along the process of the Genealogy Do Over. It is an organized approach to a massive undertaking and I respect all their efforts. I have learned a tremendous amount about process and organization from the discussion group, but I have also learned that to accomplish my desires above, my process has to take a different path.
So my starting goals are as follows:
- Rename, and relocate genealogy files already on my computer and attach to the appropriate person in my Legacy file.
- Save the documents and images I have found on Ancestry as digital files on my computer and attach to Legacy appropriately.
- Clean up sourcing notations as I work thru the new features of Legacy 8.
- Get my non digital materials scanned, digitized and linked appropriately.
- Create more blog post from the organized files that I create.
- Prepare for the upcoming trip in the fall.
- Find some apps/tools to make it all portable.
