Yesterday I briefly touched on the need for a genealogist to be structured and organized in their research. Today I tell you how easily distracted and disorganized I am. Yes, I’m already contradicting my words. Off to a good start!
The world of genealogy is so exciting that it’s very easy to get swept away by some new project. Last night a distant cousin living in the US contacted me about getting information on our mutual Sulfaro ancestral line. Her grandmother Maria Sulfaro was the sister of my great-grandfather Paolo Sulfaro. The research I have done on the Sulfaro family has been exciting and interesting to say the least and aside from my immediate family I have not been able to share my information with other interested relations. The chance to compile this information in a meticulous and comprehensible report has made me less enthusiastic to go on with my ICAP Gen project until I send her this mini Sulfaro report.
I think side projects are important and keep a genealogist’s passion for their work high. But at the same time I really should stick to the immediate task at hand – ICAP Gen project!
So I will detail my newly planned daily routine to keep me on track:
Morning: Watch one lecture from RootsTech daily. Until they run out. In which case I should move on to the videos on ICAP Gen, Ancestry and other genealogy website with recorded webinars.
Morning/Afternoon: Genealogical research related to my ICAP Gen project. Find records that I am missing. Write parts of the report. Send out emails to relevant people who can help me find information that I need to make my project as complete and detailed as possible.
Evening: Italian study. My ICAP Gen accreditation does not stop at the project. If, and when I complete the project successfully I will have to go on to do a test and interview. I will need to be able to speak and write in Italian and translate Italian documents. At the moment I can read Italian documents, and translate parts of them, but I cannot speak the language. I have time to do this, but I cannot leave this studying until after my research project is complete. So, every night I will be going through text books, translating documents, and immersing myself in as much Italian as I can.
Mini Sulfaro report is an allowable distraction until it is complete, but as of tomorrow it cannot interfere with the completion of these three planned parts of my day. If it does, I will have to make up for it on the following day and put the Sulfaro mini report to the side. I must also control myself and not make a big deal out of the mini project. It does not have to be perfect, and I can always send my relation more documents at a later date.
Until later,
Josephine