Birds Eye View: Time, Skill, Money
If you were looking or flying over your chicken coop, the longer you look, the more repairs, upkeep, enhancements, dreams you could add to improve your situation. Time, skill and money may be the biggest things stopping your progress as is true for most everything in life.
Time: I recently read and reread the First 20 Hours to learn anything! (and highly recommend it) It addressed creating a specific goal to get proficient in and find ways to narrow the goal down so it is more manageable. So do what you want to learn, accomplish what do you want to share. Not sure where to start?
Some say do family history for 5 minutes each day. If my math is right, if you only do 5 minutes of family history each day for one year, that’s 1,825 minutes or over 30 hours. And again only 5 minutes each day. Set specific goals for those 5 minutes and be proficient in that area in less than a year!
That’s it, just 5 minutes…but who can really only do 5 minutes? That’s the secret, once you start, it not only becomes easier, but one thing leads to another where your spouse is pulling you away from the computer at 2 and 3 in the morning. (Not mine anymore… he knows I’ll come eventually, or fall asleep after my eyes glaze over 🙂
Skill: You don’t have to know it all to get started. In fact, I like to ask who knows how to do EVERYTHING on Facebook or Instagram? Not me! Do I know how to do everything on FamilySearch or Ancestry. Nope! But I can do what I want to do, my choice. If I want to read a story, I know how to go to a person’s page and look at their memories to read or hear their perspective of the world. Do what YOU like. Even as a chicken you always have choices.
Money: There are thousands if not millions of websites you could pay to access to find your family. Some way more helpful than others. I am a big believer in, if I can find it for free (legally!) then I am not paying for it. I do have a few paid subscriptions that I address here.
Want a free resource? Family History Centers offer access to SO many paid subscription services, free to the communities. If I can’t find what I need at home or am blocked by a paywall, I will look at what sites the FHC offers and make time to visit.
The volunteers there are learning just like you, so please be patient with them! I started volunteering there recently and absolutely love a good challenge as well as hearing all the incredible family stories or mysteries people are trying to solve. We have some incredible resources there and not enough time to learn how to use every single one. as many of us are discovering.
To recap:
Time: start with 5 minutes, each day, each week, each month, it’s completely up to you. First thing in the morning, at lunch, or while waiting for rides. You choose: 5 minutes.
Skill: Focus your goal and learn to do what YOU want to learn.
Money: Do your research, find FHC Premium sites for free at FHC before purchasing site access you may not need.
