Keeping focussed

[Pejic]

Does anyone have the same problem - any hints on ways to use time more usefully?

I have about 120 open ends on my tree amd they are largely in west wales, berkshire, gloucester and suffolk.

I start off with a clear idea of what I am to look for, armed with all existing relevant information.  And for the first few minutes I stay focused, but then I see what my unreliable memeory tells me could be something relevant to another end and off I click, and click, and click, so very soon I am completely lost, I have no idea how I got where I am and am frequently busily writing out something I have already recorded before (possibly several times).   The problem is I cannot resist going off at an interesting looking tangent, and I do not have enough discipline / patience to keep full notes of where my search took me.

[Rishile]

Yes, I know exactly what you mean.

Wonderful isn't it 

Rishile

[jc26red]

happens all the time 

on the plus side you do occassionally find some interesting links which you wouldn't otherwise have found if you'd stayed that focused!


ps... I don't know if your FH programs has a to-do list function (RM does), but you could always utilise that so that when you're stuck on which person to concentrate on next, print it off (well at least create the list to see what you are missing!)  Of course you were focused enough to fill in the to do list at the time... erm ....right? 

[Nick29]

Sometimes going off at tangents can reveal interesting results.  Whenever I hit a brick wall (which is most of the time these days !) I take a wander down a branch in my tree, and see what I can find. 

[Katharine F]

Oh I am with you there Pejic. 
 It's so difficult to stay with one line when you find lots of different interesting trails.  Not to mention of course once you get to great and great, great, grandparents with all their siblings etc. it all gets so fascinatingly distracting.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend   

[pinefamily]

It is true that sometimes going down a side path or tangent come be very helpful, but it is also frustrating when you don't find the info you set out to get.
When I make a trip to a library or society, I make a list of possible things to find. If I have success on any one item on my list, I usually pursue that as far as I can on the day. Then I will return to my list and start the next item. This has always worked for me.
My bad habit in the past was to not fully record the source details, which was very frustrating when I needed to re-check something.

Darren

[Pejic]

Yes Darren, I'm not quite so bad when I have to travel anywhere - it is the immediacy of the internet that is my downfall!  And I endorse your comments about sources.

[pinefamily]

I can relate to the internet one. Many times, I have followed link after link, or jumped from paeg to page, and forgotten how I got there. Two things I do to combat this: keep a notebook or pad next to you, and try and open a new site or link in a new tab. These 2 things, as simple as they are, have really helped.

[Nick29]

I'm afraid I rely on the internet too much.  I got more in one day from the church archivist when I visited the church where my ancestors were buried, than I found on the internet in six months