The New Year always brings reflection. Since I started this blog, I have used it as a way to gauge my professional progress. You can read about my goals from previous years in these earlier posts:
In last year’s post, I set a few goals for myself. Let’s see how I managed to meet them (or not):
1. Continue to design new presentations. . . .
This was a great year for presenting. I did two all-day workshops in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in March, and in Germantown, Tennessee, in May. I also spoke at the National Genealogical Society Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, in May. And in June I delivered five lectures at the Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research in Birmingham, Alabama. I also delivered several individual lectures in Philadelphia and at several societies in Maryland and Delaware.
As for 2013, first up is the Maryland Genealogy Crash Course for Family Tree University on January 10. From January 14 through January 18, I will be on the faculty at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, co-teaching Course 8: Producing a Quality Family Narrative, with John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA, presenting two lectures in Thomas MacEntee’s Course 6: A Genealogist’s Guide to the Internet Galaxy, and delivering an evening lecture, “What is a ‘Reasonably Exhaustive Search’?.”
Then in June, I will again be on the faculty of the Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research, with three lectures in Course 3: Research in the South, Part II: Cessions & Territories, and one lecture in Course 6: Professional Genealogy. On July 17 I will be conducting another webinar for Legacy Family Tree, “Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy.” From July 21 through July 26 John Philip Colletta and I will be teaching “Your Immigrant Ancestors’ Stories: Writing a Quality Narrative” at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh.
I hope to see some of you in the coming year!
2. Complete some books that have been sitting on my shelf. . . .
Nope, still didn’t get them finished. Maybe I’ll have time in 2013.
3. Finish my updated edition of Online State Resources for Genealogy. . . .
I finished the updated edition in August, with both a PDF and an EPUB edition (which still has some bugs). With the book growing each year, it will take longer and longer to check the links and add new resources. I believe that an annual update will be a more realistic goal, especially considering my other projects. Expect a new edition sometime this summer.
4. Get started on some new books. . . .
I have started the series, and expect that I will be able to get at least the first volume (maybe more) finished this year.
5. Have an article accepted for publication in an academic journal. . . .
I had two articles published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal in 2012 and my first article will be published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly in the upcoming December 2012 issue. I have a little more research to do for the article I intend for The Genealogist, but I have already started writing the Maryland Historical Magazine article.
6. Get better at time management. . . .
My time management has improved slightly. Still want to be more productive in 2013.
7. Write some magazine articles. . . .
I had a much slower year in magazines in 2012. I did have an article published in Family Chronicle, an article in the National Genealogical Society Magazine, and two articles in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly.
8. Submit to genealogy writing competitions. . . .
In April I learned that I had won first prize in the National Genealogical Society Family History Writing Contest! It was such a tough competition that they actually chose two winners, myself and F. Warren Bitner, CG. I would like to take this time to congratulate Warren as well, whom I have finally gotten to know a little bit at the 2012 national conferences.
I didn’t enter any other competitions in 2012, so on that end I failed, but here’s looking forward to the future. 🙂
9. Attend the new Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. . . .
Sadly, after being away from home, out of state, for eight weekends in a row̶–̶̶from the 2012 NGS Conference through the Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research at Samford University–I simply had to rest. But, while I did not attend the Institute in 2012, I will be attending in 2013. I am actually going to be on the faculty, teaching the course “Your Immigrant Ancestors’ Stories: Writing a Quality Narrative” with coordinator John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA.
10. Find some time to research my family for a change!
Not as much as I may have liked. But I have been getting some of my research written into at least one article that I hope to submit to the New York Genealogical & Biographical Record later this year. Maybe I’ll be able to write more than one. If I start writing articles on my previous research on my own and my wife’s families, I could potentially have articles in journals of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and South Dakota! This is a long-term project, though, so don’t expect too many in 2013.
I already have quite a bit planned for 2013, so I am not going to set any goals other than to renew the goals from 2012. Let’s see if I have any better luck this year.
Happy New Year!
Planting the Seeds 
Thanks for the update. Reckon I should try something like this in order to rise above the daily to-do list!
Michael, this is indeed a great post. It’s always a good idea to set goals, look back on how we did, and set some up for the future. But, most of all, I like the fact that you knew when you needed to take a break and recharge. There’s not a one of us that can’t use that advice!
Good job!
I’ve been waiting to read your article in the NGSQ since I heard you won. I expect the December issue to be out any day now… 🙂
Congratulations on that, and your successful year, with many more to come.
Best of luck to you on your goals for 2013. Just put out my 2013 list as well. While readers my find this time of year a little boring at their favorite blogs, I like reading folks goal list and accountablility for last years objectives.