Ultimate Genealogy Goals - at CanadaGenealogy

Randy Seaver has certainly posed a sobering topic for this Saturday Night's Genealogy Fun. Here it is:

1) Answer these questions:

* What is your UGG - your "Ultimate Genealogy Goal" for the genealogy research that you wish to leave to your heirs, descendants and the genealogy community?

* How long do you think you have have left to fulfill this ultimate goal?

* Are you prioritizing your time adequately in order to achieve this goal?

* If not, what should you do to achieve the goal?

* Will you do what you need to do?

2) Tell us about it in a blog post on your own blog, or in comments to this post or on Facebook.

Well, as for my Ultimate Genealogy Goal - I think that needs at least a two-fold answer.

* First, I want to scan most, if not all, of the family photographs, memorabilia and documents I have, and obtain copies of the ones I've found in other collections or repositories. This is both so I can share these with family and so the images and their information would be preserved in case of disaster.

* Second, I want to have a finished narrative to go alongside my family charts, both with citations, of course, for my four major lines and for my husband's family too. I have some parts of this done, but as anyone who knows me well realizes, I'll never consider my research complete.

But revision is so much easier nowadays; I need to start writing and keep it up. When finished, I'd want this shared in both paper and digital format with my family and deposited with the BC Genealogical Society and any other appropriate genealogy or local history groups.

As for how much time I have to do this? My father died at 76, my mother at 86, my grandfathers at 62 and 76; my grandmothers at 77 and 99. It's my maternal line's 'life line' I'm counting on - my Na died at 99 due to an accident - not 'old age'. So I'm intending to live to a hundred at least.

But I may find I have other things to do later in life - travel with the great grandchildren, perhaps - so I do think sometimes about my ultimate genealogy goals, but, no, I haven't prioritized these yet. After all, I'm the woman who's been working on one gift scrapbook for 2 years now ...

I do think it would be reasonable for me to set a one year objective to finish the photograph scanning - this is something I feel I should be much more organized about.

And then likely I could give myself about five years to work on the narratives. I'd have to be resolute about 'finishing' one at a time though - that will be the hardest part for me.

And, like Randy, I'm not intending to give up any of my 'real life', which includes family, friends and cats, teaching, reading, blogging, twittering, volunteering (mostly doing genealogy), attending genealogy and book group meetings, travelling a bit, and just plain enjoying myself.

Still, soon enough it will be time for 2010 New Year's resolutions. I will give this topic some further thought before the end of the year.