A Method for Managing Genealogy Tasks

 

Rachel Christian New Media Editor Family Tree Magazine

I’ll admit, I’m not the most organized person. Without a doubt the thing that most easily gets out of hand for me is…my to-do lists! I’m guilty of randomly jotting down to-do items on spare envelopes and sticky notes, which just ends up as a big disorganized mess.   I’ve since sought help for my chronic to-do listing, and I’ve learned a system that helps me contain the chaos, and this method can also easily be applied to organizing genealogy research tasks. My method is based on this blog post from Art of Manliness author Brett McKay, who based his method off of the book First Things First by Stephen R. Covey.   The first step is to set recurring planning times. I like to have these planning sessions once a week and it usually takes me about an hour.   Next, you will need three lists. I keep mine in the Notes app on my phone. You can call these lists whatever you like but they each serve a specific purpose. I call my lists In Tray, Back Burner, and Projects.   Go in to your In Tray and write down all the genealogy tasks, to-dos, research questions and miscellaneous thoughts you can think of: search for that record, contact that cousin, fact-check that record hint, check out that book, update your tree…everything. Don’t hold back! By the end you should have a long list.   Next, go through each item line by line. If an item can be accomplished in two minutes or less, go ahead and do it right then and there. Be honest with yourself, a two-minute genealogy task can easily grow into a whole night of research!   If an item can’t be done in two minutes or less, estimate roughly how long it will take you to accomplish that task and put in on your calendar or schedule.   Now, you will likely come to an item that takes multiple steps to accomplish. When this happens, the item becomes a Project. Take that item, move it to the Projects list, and list out of all the steps it will take to accomplish that item. Then, repeat the same process (doing the quick tasks right away and scheduling the rest).   Of course, eventually you will run out of time in the week and this is where your final list comes in: the Back Burner. Take all the remaining items in your In Tray that haven’t been crossed off, scheduled, or made into Projects and move them to the Back Burner.   If you’ve made it this far, breathe a sigh of relief because you did it! You organized your genealogy research to-dos and created a system for keeping them organized in the future.   Now, anytime a new thought, question or task comes to you just put it in your In Tray. The next time you have a planning session, rinse and repeat.