New to Genealogy - Beginners First Step: Difference between revisions

[[Image:FirstStep.jpg|right|300px|A balancing act (first step)]]The very first decision when getting involved with a genealogy project can be the hardest.&nbsp; As depicted in the diagram it can be a balancing act where you could either end up flat on your face or be off to a good start.&nbsp; This decision is to actually determine if you are willing and able to expend the time, energy, and resources needed to achieve your goals.&nbsp; The time spent and the costs involved could potentially get out of hand but by setting your goals correctly they are much easier to keep under control. &nbsp; To get ready for the first step start out slowly by doing a little crawling first. &nbsp; Since you are the one that sets those goals you first need to know what some of the objectives are that you could create for yourself. &nbsp; Do not set yourself up to fail.&nbsp; It is better to start off with smaller goals which you can change over time rather than to be going at full speed when you hit your first brick wall (it happens to everyone). &nbsp; The resulting decisions after your first setback could be that this was a stupid idea and may lead to you quitting altogether or you could end up overwhelmed by tons of data and end up burning out prematurely. &nbsp; To survive long term, you just have to keep everything in the correct perspective.&nbsp; If you decide to pursue your family history research there are two critical items (which are described below) that you should address as soon as possible.  After that you can take all the time in the world to set appropriate objectives and readjust your goals as necessary.<br>  

The very first goal can be one of the easiest, one of the most rewarding, and is actually the most important. &nbsp; The first step is a '''critical''' step because time is running out and you may only have a short window of opportunity to complete this step. &nbsp; Preserving memories, documents, and photographs has to be your number one priority. &nbsp; All the other goals can be slowly and progressively added as you become more and more interested and confident when researching your family’s history. &nbsp; It is important to remember that this endeavor can take the form of a hobby, a passion, a calling, a vocation, a career, or a legacy and if kept in the correct perspective it can be quite rewarding. &nbsp; So once the '''critical''' steps are taken care of, you can relax and enjoy you new endeavors.