A personal look back at 2017

2017 is coming to an end.  I can’t believe it.  Where did 2017 go?  In this post I invite each of you, no matter where you are located, to take a step back and review your genealogy in 2017 and think about what you want to focus on in 2018.

I have lots of experience setting measurable goals with strict deadlines for work but for genealogy I’m a lot more relaxed.  I just want some areas to concentrate on and some ideas about what I want to do.  For 2017 I picked 5 priority areas to concentrate on.  When I need to get focused, I think about my priorities and decisions are clearer.

First and foremost is to work on my Mom’s side of the family.  I have avoided this because it is so hard.  Immigrants all!  Arriving in 1890’s and early 1900’s, leaving little knowledge of their roots in Eastern Europe.  What a challenge!  Number 1 is always “Mom’s side”.  Whenever I am picking a class at a conference or webinar, trying out a new website or software, learning about DNA, I always start with my mom’s side. 

Second is our Genies.  Twelve monthly meetings, many Getting Started classes with John and Rick, Digging Deeper into DNA classes last summer. And building the blog was my biggest technological challenge of the year.  Whatever I am doing in my own genealogy becomes part of what I can share with my friends, the Genies. 

Third is the selection of desktop family tree software. The elephant in the room.  Some people don’t use desktop software; they just use online trees.  This year it became clear to me that was necessary to store my main family tree at home.  It’s about control.  What happens when companies change their business model or are bought out?  Our needs often take the back seat.

I learned that the big websites have contracts with all their record providers.  Sometimes the providers don’t renew the contracts because they realize they can make money by charging for their records themselves.  What happens?  Important records at Ancestry or Family Search can disappear in a minute.  I also don’t want to be tied to the expensive subscriptions forever.  I want to be free to use other tools.  I want all my information and records on my desk. 

I knew the top three software companies.  On my desktop you would see a line of icons: Family Tree Maker 2014, Legacy and RootsMagic.  I have them all but it seemed so complex to try them all out.  Time kept passing and, in the end, it came to “just pick one”.  I finally settled on RootsMagic.  I like their connection to Ancestry, Family Search, MyHeritage and FindMyPast.  I like their price for myself and others.  I like their reputation as the easiest to use. 

I accomplished my goal; I picked one and got started.  It gives me motivation to review all my ancestors.  I feel good about this path.

Fourth is DNA.  It has become such an important part of genealogical research.  I, and we, spent the whole summer studying DNA and trying out new methods.  We all dug deeper!  It was my effort to learn much, much more.  I took multiple webinars, an Advanced DNA class from Diahann Southard, and read so much. 

Fifth is education in general.   Four-day Northwest Genealogy Conference, WGS meetings, German Interest Group in Bellevue, and spring seminar in Tacoma helped me step up a notch.  I watch webinars, listen to podcasts, and read blogs.  It gives me a broader idea about what is possible.

What will 2018 bring?  We’ll see.  Join me in the next post to take a look forward. 

What areas did you concentrate on this past year?  Leave a comment and come to our meeting on Monday, Dec 18^th.

Judith Culver