I have chosen 3 words to celebrate my genealogy endeavors for each new year since 2013! I must admit that this activity does work well for me (in lieu of New Year’s Resolutions) because it allows me to organize and plan my genealogy research and training for the year in a more meaningful way.
My 3 Words Over the Years
2013: First. Proof. Publish.
2014: Serendipity. Collaboration. DNA.
2015: Preserve. Stretch. Connection.
2016: Personal. Re-do. Believe.
My 3 Words for 2017
Share.
The word share reminds me of the Botswana Proverb that says,
“All people share the same ancestry.”
I totally enjoy sharing research facts and information with people whether they’re related to me or not. Sharing with others is the reason why I maintain a public family tree at Ancestry.com filled with informative notes, photos, and primary/secondary documents. It’s my hope this information will help others researching the same ancestors I am — find me! But what made research so cool online for me in 2016 was having a few researchers reach out to me for the first time and send information about my ancestors just because they were checking out the surnames in my family tree. Now that’s the type of sharing I want to experience more of in 2017. So get ready people, I plan to share and talk about genealogy everywhere I go!
Involved.
I’ve been involved with family research since 1989. Attending genealogy conferences and workshops online and offline is something I look forward to and plan for each year. But this year my involvement with genealogy will be more personal than ever before. I’m the newly elected Assistant Secretary for the Willie Lee Gay – H-Town Chapter for the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. I’ve been a member of the H-Town Chapter for two years and have benefitted greatly from this organization. So I felt it was time for me to get involved and give back to a group that has been helpful to me in a major way.
Learner.
As the Swahili Proverb goes —
“Where there are experts there will be no lack of learners.“
When it comes to genealogy, I am a life-long learner who pursues this field for pleasure and accuracy. Anyone who has spent time shaking down their family tree knows that genealogy involves problem-solving skills that require the use of sources from a variety of fields and disciplines (i.e. business, legal, medicine, religion, governmental, etc.) It is the accuracy that I desire most of all with my research. As a result, I will forever be a learner who will continue to seek out experts for their guidance and help!
Care to join me in this Activity?
Feel inspired to choose *three* words that would help focus your goals and efforts with your family research this year? If yes, what three words would you choose? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section of this post. But more importantly, I wish you Happy Ancestor Hunting throughout this year!
Claiming Kin Genealogy 
Sounds like you have a plan. I think that I need one, otherwise I get lost in research! I’m learning so much new about my family and times right now. And I love the connections. And love your collage! They are one of my favorite things to do – making collages.
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Happy New Year’s Kristin and THANK YOU for *always* stopping by and celebrating with me through the years. I know exactly what you mean about getting lost in research because I do it all the time. But last year, I found that my “Re-do” was an excellent activity for me which led to me making some new discoveries that I will share with everyone this year! Now I must confess that it is your beautiful collages that is at the core of my new look for the blog this year. Your family photos are AWESOME. Though I don’t have as many as you, the few that I do have, I wanted to display them like you. So thank you for your continued support and inspiration!
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