EXPECTATIONS

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN 2015?

It is at this time of the year that we all get bombarded by new year resolutions and with the launch of the Genealogy Do-Over by Thomas MacEntee many of us are reviewing our work at setting ourselves goals for this coming year.

It is important that we give ourselves time to reflect and for those of us in the northern hemisphere the long winter evenings can be the best time of year to do this.

As I may have mentioned previously last January I attended one of The Boot Camps that Thomas and Lisa Alzo have been running. 

Next weekend they are running their Research Right Boot Camp (which sold out within a day), if you have not been able to sign up for this then it will be available from the following week. I have managed to sign up for this and hope to pick up some useful tips.

I have not managed to do much research at archives in the past two or three years and have been concentrating on getting a new organisation system in place. 
Those limited visits I have made were to look for parish registers not yet available online. 
I am hoping that next weekend's Boot Camp will help me optimise my research process so that I can make the most of my visit to Salt Lake City next month.

GOALS

1. Complete my reorganisation process
2. Optimise the research process
3. Ensure that all my sources are cited as accurately as possible
4. Make the most of visiting my cousins in the US and Salt Lake City for the Rootstech/FGS 2015 Conference

HOW WILL I ATTAIN THESE

This may sound a little "corny" but as the words of that song say "with a little help from my friends".

The genealogy community are a supportive group of people and by sharing and supporting each other we can all achieve our goals.

We must be realistic in what we aim to achieve and reassess the situation when we don't reach the endpoint we wanted.

Thomas MacEntee urged everyone who participating in the Genealogy Do-Over to slow down. Speed is not important getting it right is our aim.

The right plan with realistic goals will get more done. "More haste, less speed" is the saying that comes to mind.
I have parish register microfiche and some English counties have digital images available online, once I know what I have then I can concentrate my research objectives on those records not available in my home or via the Internet.
Some may say that goal number 4 should be number 1 and in the short term that is true. However without the other goals then I may not attain number 4. Goals 1 and 2 may not be reached before I leave the UK and 3 most certainly will not but that does not mean I cannot achieve number 4.

Preparation will be the key to my success and in my March post I will tell you if I achieved my goal and in April how I plan to make the most of my trip to Who Do You Think You Are Live.

Next month I hope to give you my impression of the first day at Rootstech 2015/FGS conference.

My 2015 Goal - I Intend To Be Real

Life Lessons courtesy of one of my favorite characters!

As a child one of my favorite books was The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Originally written as a serial between 1881-1883, Pinocchio tells the story of the wood carver who wanted a son and the marionette who wanted to be a human boy. I was fascinated with the idea that a marionette could become real and I rooted for Pinocchio to get out of the various scrapes he got himself into (that underdog mentality was strong in my second generation American family). Like so many children’s stories, Pinocchio offers life lessons; sometimes we didn't even know we were learning them at the time.

In the new year and while we are all busy figuring out if we are going to do a Genealogy Do-Over or Go-Over, or if we are independently thinking about our 2015 goals, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on what we can learn from Pinocchio and apply those lessons to our genealogy and real lives. [And please find the original story rather than rely on the Disney version - although I did enjoy Disney's Jiminy Cricket.] 

• Tell the truth – ah the nose that grows. Every time Pinocchio lied his nose grew. How I wish this happened in real life; we could tell who the liars were and what lies were being told. Sometimes we allow people to lie to us (we have that gut feeling, we know better, or we can’t believe the person would lie to us) and sometimes people are really good liars because they have no moral compass. In either case, when the liar is caught out trust is lost. Whether that trust can ever be regained depends on the nature and quality of the lie. The easiest thing is simply to tell the truth. 

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net ID-10031579

•  Be brave, honest and generous - there is always a good fairy in these stories (that magical creature who provides the lesson and watches over the protagonist). In Pinocchio the turquoise-haired Fairy explains just what Pinocchio has to do if he wants to be a real boy. If you want to be the best person you can be, pay attention to your actions rather than just saying the words – you need to be brave, honest and generous.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net ID-100260549

• Be dependable and considerate – Pinocchio got into scrapes because he was lazy, irresponsible, did not want to be told what to do, was looking for the quick and easy way, and was greedy. At any given moment that could be each of us, at least in little ways. He thought he made friends only to find out they were in it for themselves and using him (do you know any foxes, cats or donkeys?). Pinocchio survived his scrapes and found out what and who were important, and he became a responsible and considerate son. He stepped up to the plate when Geppetto was ill and took care of him. Remind yourself what and who is important in your life and act accordingly. 

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net ID-10029983

•  Be the best you – Pinocchio become a real boy when he was kind, unselfish and thought about others (Geppetto and the turquoise-haired Fairy). Being real (or authentic) means knowing who you are and striving to be the best person you can be. This often means putting others’ needs ahead of your own desires, showing compassion and being kind. We can all get ahead in this life, but we don’t need to do it by stepping on others or using them. Do you know who you are and is that someone you are proud of? Take those necessary steps to be the best you each and every day.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net ID-100221658

Bottom line Pinocchio is all about the difficulties of growing up, accepting responsibility for our behavior, understanding the necessity of being honest, and the importance of making things right when we have been at fault or harmed someone. Since 2015 is going to be my best year ever, I intend to be real – how about you?