Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Progress or not?

Crista Cowan, aka The Barefoot Genealogist on Ancestry.com, posted a blog titled "Family History All Done?  What's Your Number?" on 16 Aug 2012. 


I thought that this would be a great time to look at my numbers.

                                                             Generation   Possible    What I have

                                                                    1               1               1
                                                                    2               2               2
                                                                    3               4               4
                                                                    4               8               8
                                                                    5              16              8
                                                                    6              32             14
                                                                    7              64              7
                                                                    8             128            10
                                                                    9             256            10
                                                                   10            512             2

Totals                                                                       1023             66


 Wow!!!  66 out of 1,023 that is not even 7%.  Yet I show 2103 people in my family tree!  How can this be?  I thought I've been doing pretty good , boy was I wrong!   That would mean 2037 people I have researched are not even my direct line!  This shows me that I need to start concentrating on my direct line.  

I will admit that trying to stay in your direct line is hard.  Look above at my figures, apparently I have a really hard time doing it!  But, now that I am more aware of it then ever, I will be better.  I have made a promise to myself that I will get those numbers up!  

Since I am so easily distracted I have formed my plan of attack.  I am going to post my numbers above on a note to myself and attach it to my lap-top!  That way every time I am doing research I will see that note and hopefully it will keep me going in the right direction.  Wish me luck!!

There are so many ways to do your family history/ancestry/genealogy research.  What is the best way?  Your way!!  My advise to you, do your research, before your research.  Look around, there are all kinds of blogs, video's, books and magazines out there detailing ways to research.  You need to figure out what will work for you.  Something that you will stick with.  Something that is your style.  Once you know what that is, you are on your way.  What may work for me, may not work for you.  However; don't ever discount something that you come across, because that may just be the thing that you need.  As an example: when I first started out, I had no idea what I was doing.  I just dove in head first.  I got so over whelmed by all the paperwork, names, dates etc. that I was pulling my hair out.  So, I backed off, and just started with what I had.  It helped.  I have seen where people keep index cards, generation sheets, group sheets or whatever to help.  On a earlier post, I told you that I now keep a 9 generation sheet beside me.  This shows where I have holes in my research.  It tells me what family I need to concentrate on.  It works for me, I only wish that I would have done that years ago!  I have tried other people's way of doing research, and realized that I could not do it that way.  It just wasn't me.  

There is a saying in scrapbooking - "You never make a mistake.  No one will ever know a mistake was made because, no one but YOU knows how the page was suppose to be."  How does that apply to your research?  Well, the way you research is your way.  Results are what matters.  There are people out there who will find a family tree and just copy that information down and move on.  Problem with that is most of the time you get the wrong information.  If I see a family tree with info that I do not have, then I write it down.  So that is where I will start my research.  I want proof that info is correct!

I haven't been able to do any research in a couple weeks.  I miss it!!  I did need the break tho.  So, it's time for me to get back to it.

Happy researching!!  And make sure to verify and do your citations!!!


Debbie




       








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