I Need A "To Do" List

I’ve given you all a brief introduction as to who I am and afterwards I described in subsequent posts the very events that propelled me into this hobby. This is only my eighth post and I feel completely clueless on how to continue.

There’s so much to do with this project of mine, which is pretty awesome because the possibilities are endless. But on the flip side, I’m suffering from choice overload. Do I focus on researching family member X, Y, or Z? Or perhaps I should devote my time to honing my writing skills by reading more about how to create a successful blog. But what’s the point in drafting blog posts if I don’t have the material? Therefore, I actually should be acquiring as much knowledge as possible about Irish history so I can relate these events back to family members X, Y, and Z. But I don’t know who their parents are or when/where they were born. Shit, it’s 11:38pm and I have to get up at 6:15 tomorrow morning to go to the office for work.

via GIPHY

What’s “worse” is that all these alternatives are equally fun and rewarding. I really am spoiled for choice here. Ultimately, I think all are worthy endeavors, so what I really need is to create a “to do” list to keep me organized and focused. It doesn’t matter where I start just as long as I do. So, here’s my attempt at keeping myself focused and this blog’s purpose at keeping me motivated and accountable.

1. Focus on reading:
   - The People’s Rising: Wexford, 1798¹
   - Blogging for Writers²
   - Mastering Genealogical Proof³
   - Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide⁴.
2. Complete Blog Posts 9-14.
3. Prioritize research on the following individuals:
   - Patrick Synnott (born 1792 in County Wexford, Ireland)
   - Catherine/Catharine/Caty Veeder (born 17 June 1789 in Fonda, New York)
   - William Goggans/Goggins (born 1700 in County Cork, Ireland)
   - William's wife Elizabeth Beall (born 14 April 1714 in Prestonpans, Scotland)
   - Mary Elizabeth Hughes (born 19 August 1823 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama).

I think I’ll keep it simple for now as it’s mostly reading and writing. Plus, I want to leave some room in case I need to deviate from this plan. Looking at this list, I notice that I must internally feel like the genealogical proof of my family will still be there in two months, but I have next to 0 knowledge of Irish history or practice with genealogical rigor. Hopefully once I have gained more of this insight, I can put my newly-acquired skills to use.

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END NOTES
1 Gahan, Daniel. The People's Rising: Wexford, 1798. Gill & Macmillan, 1995.
2 Houston, Robin. Blogging for Writers: How Authors & Writers Build Successful Blogs. Writer's Digest Books, 2014.
3 Jones, Thomas W. Mastering Genealogical Proof. National Genealogical Society, 2013.
4 Elder, Diana and Nicole Dyer. Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide. Family Locket Books, 2018.