June: Update on My Goals

It’s been a busy first half of the year with my job change and all the other great things in my life, but I thought I would check in on my progress.

General Genealogy Goals

Education

1.  Attend the Ohio Genealogical Conference in Cleveland, Ohio (April 12-14).  I decided not to attend this year. 

  2.  Attend the National Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 9-12).  Yes, I was able to go!  It was a fun experience and I’m still absorbing all that I was able to learn there.

3.  Visit the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana and learn about the resources available there.  Completed in March with the Geneabloggers.

4.  Finish the Advanced Jewish Genealogy Coursework that I began in November. I'm still working on this one.  I'm about 75% done and hope to finish this up this month.

5.  Take the courses that I won last year through the Family Tree Magazine.  Haven't even looked at them.

6.  Finish reading the Jewish Genealogy book that I bought last year.  I'm about 1/2 through the book. Slow but sure progress. 

7.  Finish the Methodology Part 1 course through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  I hope to do this in the fall.

8.  Attend the Midwestern Roots Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (July 20-21). Registered, but not sure if I’ll be able to attend due to work demands.

Blogging

1.  Write at least once a week.  I've done well with this.  There were even weeks with 2-3 posts!

2.  Promote my blog on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.  Definitely been getting more social media face time.  It's been fun!

3.  Invite others to write as guests on my blog.  Still need to line this up.

Networking

1.  Continue to meet with the COG's (Central Ohio Geneabloggers).  Our next lunch date is scheduled for June 30th.

2.  At all conferences make at least one new connection. I did great at this at NGS—made many new connections and strengthened some others.

3.  Become active in the Licking County Genealogical Society and volunteer in the library.  I've joined the group and volunteered to help with the website.  They haven’t contacted me yet though.

Family Interviews

Interview the older generations in my family about their memories growing up.  Use pictures to spur stories about relatives that I know little about.  Record these interviews to digital audio for later reference and sharing.  I have been stalling on this one.  Really need to schedule these in the next couple of months.

Specific questions and goals for the family lines that I'd like to examine this year...

Morse

1.  Find out more about Margaret Maude Nolan Morse McGraw.  According to my Great Uncle, she was married once before she met George Frederick Morse.  Was Nolan her maiden name or was it her 1st married name?  While at the ACPL I was able to work on this question.  I still need to pursue some more leads on this and request some marriage records to confirm/ disprove my findings.

2.  Who was George Frederick Morse married to before Margaret?  My Great Uncle said he was married once before... who was she? No progress on this one yet.

3.  What happened to Arthur Morse's daughter Helena Irene? No progress on this one yet.

4.  Join the Morse Family Genealogical Society.  I joined and wish I could go to their reunion hosted every two years.  Maybe next time!?

Krueger

1.  Find out more about Alex/ Ellye Kriger in Belarus.  Was he born there or elsewhere?  When & where was he buried?  No progress on this one yet.

2.  Did Myer Krueger have any siblings?  According to my grandma there was a sister in Minnesota that married and had several children.  When did she come to America?   Some progress on this, but still have to confirm that the family I found is actually related to my great grandpa.

3.  Where is Sophia/ Zipe Soloman Krueger buried and when did she die?  Where was she born?  Did she have any siblings besides Sarah Soloman Shon?   No progress on this one yet.

Engel

1.  Did Samuel Hirsch Engel have any siblings?  Did his family remain in Slovakia?   No progress on this one yet.

2.  Did Dora Fleckman Engel have any siblings?  Did her family stay in Slovakia?   I’ve found her brother and his family, but no other siblings yet.

Alford

1.  Find out more about my dad's half-brother Kenny and Kenny's mother.  Where did they end up & is Kenny still alive?  No progress on this one yet.

2.  Find out more about Naomi Reynolds Alford's family and whether any more pictures are "out there".  No progress on this one yet.

3.  Join the Alford Family Association.   No progress on this one yet.

Clifford

1.  Find out where in Ireland the Cliffords came from originally.   No progress on this one yet.

Motivation Monday- Update on Goals for 2012

I thought since I'm already through a quarter of 2012 I should probably check in on myself and how I am doing on my goals.  Initially I had a pretty ambitious list... and since that initial list I've made some headway.  Here's how I stand now...


General Genealogy Goals
Education
1.  Attend the Ohio Genealogical Conference in Cleveland, Ohio (April 12-14).  I've decided not to attend this year.  The topics just weren't calling to me as much as last year and the expense of hotel, parking, food, and the conference seemed too high for me this year.  Instead I'm planning on attending the National conference in Cincy.
2.  Attend the National Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 9-12).  I'm registered!  
3.  Visit the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana and learn about the resources available there.  Yes!  I made it finally!  I met 20 geneabloggers and had a great time with them and getting familiar with the library.  I cannot wait to go again!
4.  Finish the Advanced Jewish Genealogy Coursework that I began in November.  I'm still working on this one.  I'm about 75% done and hope to finish this up this month.
5.  Take the courses that I won last year through the Family Tree Magazine.  Haven't even looked at them.
6.  Finish reading the Jewish Genealogy book that I bought last year.  I'm about 1/3 through the book.  Slow but sure progress.  
7.  Finish the Methodology Part 1 course through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  This probably won't happen till later this year.
8.  Attend the Midwestern Roots Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (July 20-21).  I still need to register for this.

Blogging
1.  Write at least once a week.  I've done well with this.  There were even weeks with 2-3 posts!
2.  Promote my blog on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.  Definitely been getting more social media face time.  It's been fun!
3.  Invite others to write as guests on my blog.  Still need to line this up.

Networking
1.  Continue to meet with the COG's (Central Ohio Geneabloggers).  Oh yea, this has been so much fun.  Just love these gals!
2.  At all conferences make at least one new connection.  I need to work on this one.  I tend to be a bit shy in new situations and have to force myself outside of my comfort zone.
3.  Become active in the Licking County Genealogical Society and volunteer in the library.  I've joined the group, but haven't made it to a meeting or contacted anyone to volunteer. 

Family Interviews
Interview the older generations in my family about their memories growing up.  Use pictures to spur stories about relatives that I know little about.  Record these interviews to digital audio for later reference and sharing.  I have been stalling on this one.  Really need to schedule these in the next couple of months.

Specific questions and goals for the family lines that I'd like to examine this year...
Morse
1.  Find out more about Margaret Maude Nolan Morse McGraw.  According to my Great Uncle, she was married once before she met George Frederick Morse.  Was Nolan her maiden name or was it her 1st married name?  While at the ACPL I was able to work on this question.  I still need to pursue some more leads on this and request some marriage records to confirm/ disprove my findings.
2.  Who was George Frederick Morse married to before Margaret?  My Great Uncle said he was married once before... who was she?  No progress on this one yet.
3.  What happened to Arthur Morse's daughter Helena Irene?  No progress on this one yet.
4.  Join the Morse Family Genealogical Society.   I joined last month, but haven't received any mailings yet.  


Krueger
1.  Find out more about Alex/ Ellye Kriger in Belarus.  Was he born there or elsewhere?  When & where was he buried?  No progress on this one yet.
2.  Did Myer Krueger have any siblings?  According to my grandma there was a sister in Minnesota that married and had several children.  When did she come to America?   No progress on this one yet.
3.  Where is Sophia/ Zipe Soloman Krueger buried and when did she die?  Where was she born?  Did she have any siblings besides Sarah Soloman Shon?   No progress on this one yet.

Engel
1.  Did Samuel Hirsch Engel have any siblings?  Did his family remain in Slovakia?   No progress on this one yet.
2.  Did Dora Fleckman Engel have any siblings?  Did her family stay in Slovakia?   No progress on this one yet.

Alford
1.  Find out more about my dad's half-brother Kenny and Kenny's mother.  Where did they end up & is Kenny still alive?  No progress on this one yet.
2.  Find out more about Naomi Reynolds Alford's family and whether any more pictures are "out there".  No progress on this one yet.
3.  Join the Alford Family Association.   No progress on this one yet.

Clifford
1.  Find out where in Ireland the Cliffords came from originally.   No progress on this one yet.

What’s Holding You Back?

The past two weeks have been quite busy for me at work, but lurking in the back of my mind is a topic that I have discussed with many friends and family members recently.   I often tend to “stew” on a topic for a while before I can put it down on paper and really compose my thoughts.  Throughout our lives we each have goals we would like to accomplish.  We each have followed paths that later we may regret.  What are your hopes and dreams?

Personally, my dreams have changed quite a bit over time.  As a kid I used to fantasize about being a singer and actress.  Eventually I came to realize that my shyness would be a difficult hurdle to overcome in order to be successful.  Instead I began to focus on the skills that came a little easier and pursued my degree as a Civil Engineer.  I am fortunate to have a good career that I can be proud of, but find that some of the work is quite unfulfilling.  

As the years have passed I have dreamed of being an author.  I have a feeling that this will be one that nags at me till I am too old to see the paper I will write on.  I’ve always kept a diary and until recently I was not a regular writer.  Thanks to this blog I do my best to write at least one post a week.  I still dream of being a writer, but I have a feeling that the motivation and energy needed to accomplish it is not quite there.  Over the past year I have focused more on my dreams of having a genealogy business.  The difference I think is that I am taking action on this dream.  I don’t expect to become a rich person from my business, but at the least, it’s something I enjoy and find fulfilling.

I find that fear is the biggest thing holding me back from achieving my goals.  The funny thing is that it isn’t necessarily fear of failure that keeps me from going for it.  It takes a tremendous amount of effort and dedication to pursue your dreams.  You have to devote all your free time and thought toward the dream.  Easier said than done when you have a full time job, house, family, etc.  Most people are barely keeping above water as it is and to find the extra energy to pursue that dream?!  It can be very disheartening.  That’s why you have to be determined to accomplish your dream.  Your heart must be in it 1000% in order to succeed.  I think there are some important things to ask yourself as you consider your dreams…

• Why do you have this dream? 
• Why do you want to succeed?
• What will success look like? 
• How will you feel when you achieve this dream?
• What are the biggest obstacles to success?
• Who will be your biggest supporter?
• What are you willing to do to achieve your dream?

Life is a series of choices and finding balance in life can be a real challenge.   You have to have a high desire to achieve your goal and a plan to make it happen in order to succeed.  You have to be willing to make some sacrifices and challenge yourself.  At the very least, you have to give yourself a chance to get started.  So, write that story about your favorite childhood memory.  Write about what you did that day.  Read a book about your chosen interest.  Coddle your dreams and inspire yourself in little ways.

Below are some quotes to think about.

It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.
Theodore Roosevelt

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
Vincent van Gogh

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

For hope is but the dream of those that wake.
Matthew Prior

My Genealogy Goals for 2012

Here are my much-anticipated genealogy goals for 2012.  Some are pretty general and some quite specific.  I am hopeful that I'll be able to go to all the conferences I've mentioned.  I think the main thing is to just set aside time each month to work on one or two of these goals.  I'll keep you posted as I accomplish each one.


General Genealogy Goals..


Education
1.  Attend the Ohio Genealogical Conference in Cleveland, Ohio (April 12-14).
2.  Attend the National Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 9-12).
3.  Visit the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana and learn about the resources available there.
4.  Finish the Advanced Jewish Genealogy Coursework that I began in November.
5.  Take the courses that I won last year through the Family Tree Magazine.
6.  Finish reading the Jewish Genealogy book that I bought last year.
7.  Finish the Methodology Part 1 course through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.
8.  Attend the Midwestern Roots Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (July 20-21).

Blogging
1.  Write at least once a week.
2.  Promote my blog on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+
3.  Invite others to write as guests on my blog.

Networking
1.  Continue to meet with the COG's (Central Ohio Geneabloggers).
2.  At all conferences make at least one new connection.
3.  Become active in the Licking County Genealogical Society and volunteer in the library.

Family Interviews
Interview the older generations in my family about their memories growing up.  Use pictures to spur stories about relatives that I know little about.  Record these interviews to digital audio for later reference and sharing.



Specific questions and goals for the family lines that I'd like to examine this year...

Morse
1.  Find out more about Margaret Maude Nolan Morse McGraw.  According to my Great Uncle, she was married once before she met George Frederick Morse.  Was Nolan her maiden name or was it her 1st married name?
2.  Who was George Frederick Morse married to before Margaret?  My Great Uncle said he was married once before... who was she?
3.  What happened to Arthur Morse's daughter Helena Irene?
4.  Join the Morse Family Genealogical Society.

Krueger
1.  Find out more about Alex/ Ellye Kriger in Belarus.  Was he born there or elsewhere?  When & where was he buried?
2.  Did Myer Krueger have any siblings?  According to my grandma there was a sister in Minnesota that married and had several children.  When did she come to America? 
3.  Where is Sophia/ Zipe Soloman Krueger buried and when did she die?  Where was she born?  Did she have any siblings besides Sarah Soloman Shon?

Engel
1.  Did Samuel Hirsch Engel have any siblings?  Did his family remain in Slovakia?
2.  Did Dora Fleckman Engel have any siblings?  Did her family stay in Slovakia?

Alford
1.  Find out more about my dad's half-brother Kenny and Kenny's mother.  Where did they end up & is Kenny still alive?
2.  Find out more about Naomi Reynolds Alford's family and whether any more pictures are "out there".
3.  Join the Alford Family Association.

Clifford
1.  Find out where in Ireland the Cliffords came from originally.