Friday, April 3, 2009

Organizing and making head way!

Getting organized has been a real challenge for me, I work on my piles slowly. I may get time once a month or if I am lucky maybe once a week! I have a real problem being unorganized, I cannot think straight or work being disorganized. I don't even have a desire to do anything because I feel like I don't know where to even start.

I took today off from work, things are slow and some of us are rotating afternoons or days off, when summer hits we will be so busy that we will be lucky to eat lunch in peace but we are all thankful to have a job at this time. I took full advantage of my day. I decided not to sleep in, as much as I needed the sleep (I wake up on empty) I wanted to get started early as I had a Dr.'s appt. at 10:30 A.M. Sure enough that Dr.'s appt. took up so much time that I was having an anxiety attack about getting back to my filing and organizing! I waited almost an hour past my appt. time and then when the Dr. arrived, he took all of about 5 mins. Then I went to CVS to get a prescription and waited there for almost an hour. I kept thinking...this is really cutting into my day off to get my Genealogy organized!

I finally arrived back home some 2 1/2 hours later. I wanted to skip making something to eat and just jump in but I thought it would be better to fuel the body so I could keep going! After having lunch, I filed an entire stack of notes and resources, two surname binders and some misc. items. There are some papers that don't really pertain to a surname, it's more reference type material and so I am using hanging folders for those. Not sure what else to do with them. They don't belong in my surname binders, they are merely reference/info tools that I may need or use down the road...any ideas are welcome.

All in all I do feel as if I have accomplished quite a bit today, I want to just keep going until I am done and everything is in it's place but I am pooped out at the moment and taking a break. I would do it tomorrow but I have to attend a seminar in Irvine, CA for work that will take up my entire day...it's really tough for me to give up my genealogy time. It wouldn't be so bad if it were just for a few hours but I will be getting up at 4:30 A.M., picking a co-worker up that lives near by, meeting the rest at work, getting into vans and traveling about an hour to an hour and a half one way up to Irvine, the seminar starts at 9 A.M. and ends at 3 P.M., by the time I get home, it will be 5 -6 P.M., long day! So, hopefully Sunday I will be able to get a bit more done. It's a good feeling to get some of my piles taken care of. It will be even better when I have all the piles done...if that is ever possible.

I would love to hear more about how other Genea-bloggers file and organize. I feel that it is so important for a Genealogist to be organized. I am looking forward to Dear Mrytle's "Finally Get Organized: April 2009 Checklist"...she has helped me to get it together.

8 comments:

Becky Thompson said...

I'm so happy you made some headway! Good for you. I'll write more when I get time---don't give up on me! I loved your good post here---wish I'd find a day to spend time doing the same thing. I'm so far behind, it bugs me!

Gini said...

Thank you Becky, it's good to hear from you my friend. It is rare that I get a day to play! I know that feeling about being behind, I still am even though I did get some things done today! I am determined to get it done!

geneabloggers said...

Gini

I am known as The Paperless Guy but that isn't entirely possible with my genealogy work. However, I prefer to scan almost everything and utilize those resources while I file originals away in my filing cabinet.

Linda Hughes Hiser said...

If only you could see the mess of papers sitting between my keyboard and the screen...but then I put them back in their folders and I can't seem to find them. I think I work best in a mess!!!

Cindy said...

All I can say... I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! Keep at it, it'll get done eventually. Although I'm speaking from amongst many "piles" myself so don't listen to me too hard :-) hope you have a great weekend!

Gini said...

I am becoming more and more paperless Thomas but still for some reason tend to print things out! Now I think twice about what I am printing so I don't waste paper and space and time! I have always loved paper and having something in my hands, old school I guess! Thank you for your comment.

Gini said...

Cindy and LindaLee ~ I am so glad I am not the only one, it drives me crazy though! It's good to know that we can support each other and help each other thru it and when we get those anxiety attacks,(or maybe it's just me who gets those!) us genea-friends are there for each other. Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from others who are going the same thing.

Susan Curelop said...

Fun blog Gini! I would NEVER post a photo of my work space because I wouldn't want to give people nightmares. My desk is always a mess no matter how many times I clean it up and file things. I can't help myself, I love paper. And while records are in databases, I still print them out because deep down I have no trust in the computer. I'm certain it will die and so too will all my work, even though I've backed it up. It's unreasonable thinking, completely old school, but I don't care, it's how I operate.

I'm confused, are you 1 year new to genealogy research? Or to genealogy blogging? I'm brand new to the blogging and haven't figured out how to add photos, lists of surnames, etc. Another reason I collect paper.