I’m not great with New Year resolutions. Like a lot of people I start off with great intentions but weaken as time goes on. We’re only six days in and I’m already wondering if “Dry January” was such a good idea given everything that’s going on right now!

However, I’ve been inspired by some of my fellow genie bloggers to set out a few goals for the year. I know that I should resolve to get more organised and focused in my research but then I’d just be setting myself up to fail. At work I have to be pretty thorough with my admin so for my hobby I’m going to cut myself some slack. When it comes to my family tree I am regularly distracted by bright shiny things but, for me, that’s part of the enjoyment.

My blog has worked out better than I could ever have hoped in that it has had a greater reach than I imagined. It has been great hearing from cousins around the world, most of whom have stumbled across my stories. The family stakes have also been a talking point for family closer to home. I think it is fair to say that we had very little knowledge of our roots and we are all loving finding out more.

I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my stories. An even bigger thank you to anyone who has liked or commented. It means a lot. If you think you might be connected to anyone in my posts and would like further information please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

So, my goal is to write at least one post per week. Surely that is achievable even with work and the current home schooling situation. It’s not like I’ll be going anywhere for the next few weeks at least!

Another goal is to spend a bit more time on my paternal side which I have neglected a bit. It should be easier as my dad’s family, with a couple of exceptions, have been in Scotland forever. I am definitely going to spend a bit of time getting to know them better.

Many of my ancestors are buried in the local cemetery and when it is possible to do so I plan to visit Lanarkshire Heritage Centre to go through the records. I have done this before but it was some time ago and I didn’t have all the information I have now. Cemetery records have also revealed family members I might otherwise have missed so I know it will be a worthwhile trip (or trips. It not exactly far to go.)

Finally, since the last time my DNA results were properly organised I’ve had lots of new matches so I will spend a bit of time on that. DNA has proved very useful to me in the past but I sometimes forget about using it in my research.

So there you have it. I’m making no major promises but there are a few small goals to help keep me on track.