The Family History Research struggle
Have you found yourself procrasting deadlines? Do you struggle to achieve your goals to do your personal Family History Research? Are you a deadline procrastinator? Well, I love helping others find their families, but working on my own is not so easy. I believe I too am a deadline procrastinator. Let me tell you a story which happened to me recently.
The Stuck Log
“Oh no, it’s stuck,” I shouted more to myself than to my 89-year-old mother. She sat in a recliner next to the stove. I struggled to put a log into my mom’s wood stove. The log filled the stove opening. Three-quarters of the log inside the stove started to burn. Flames crackled and snapped, I pushed with my hands and then kicked with my feet. of log protruded from the front of the stove. I pushed, I pulled, but nothing moved. It was stuck.
Am I going to burn down the house?
Suddenly, a picture of the house on fire flashed through my mind and I quickly asked God for help. I thought of the maul (it’s like an ax). My brother uses it at times to split these big logs. I ran outside in the slushy snow, found it, and lugged it into the house. First, I tried to knock the log into with the blunt end, but it didn’t move. Next, I tried to chop the log up, but I’m not very strong, nor very coordinated. I did split a sliver off, but the maul hit the stove a couple of times, scattering creosote from the doors all over the floor. Still, the log wouldn’t move.
Sawing with a knife
Suddenly, I thought of a serrated knife mom had in the kitchen. You know the one, it will cut anything and never dull, or you can get your money back. I ran to the kitchen, grabbed the knife, and returned to the stove. I fell to my knees and started sawing on the log’s peak which was stuck at the top of the door. The heat from the burning log threatened my hand. Another sliver of wood came off, but still not enough to help me to push or kick the log into the stove. I picked up the maul and with the blunt end pounded the log as hard as I could. Bam, bam, bam… Slowly, with each hit, the log moved until it slid into the stove. Sighing, I shut the doors and sank to the floor. Glancing at my mother, I saw the relief in her eyes.
A thought flashed through my mind, “If you worked this hard on your goals, I could guide you to accomplish anything.
Goals and Procrastinators
So, how does this apply to you or me and our family history goals? Do I ever work as hard on my goals as I fought to get the log into the fireplace? Well, no, not since I had assignments due in my classes at school. Why? Because there is never a deadline or a feeling of urgency. One personal goal I’ve struggled with is to verify my family history in FamilySearch.org. I’d like to prove the relationships as if I was working for a client. With many pioneer ancestors, I’ve felt there was nothing left for me to do. But proving relationships is always good to do. I’ll work a little while and make good progress, but then I procrastinate and don’t get back to it for weeks, or even months.
Deadline procrastinator
You see, I’m a deadline procrastinator. I’m the student who didn’t work on the homework until the night before it was due. If I got my work done, it was under stress. During my years at Utah State University, my grades indicate how well this style worked for achieving goals. However, when I began my Family History studies at Brigham Young University Idaho online, the deadlines were twice a week. Therefore, I couldn’t put anything off until the end of the semester. Interestingly, I work better with a deadline and someone to hold me accountable. Research for clients has a deadline and accountability. I love that.
Deadlines help you reach your goal
Having a deadline helps me get a project done. I work to reach my goals on time. The fire at the end of the log created an urgent deadline. Either the log fell into the stove or the house caught fire. A jug of water by the stove never caught my attention. God knew I didn’t need it because He guided me. I didn’t stop to think, take a picture, or ask mom what she thought I should do. In my head, I asked God for help and immediately did the first thing that popped into my head, get the maul. Next, I got the knife. I worked fast and furiously, from one thing to another until my goal was achieved.
Conclusion
In conclusion, deadlines are great and help us achieve our goals. But wait, is that the conclusion? What do we do when there is no deadline? Many goals we have don’t have a deadline. We can set one for ourselves, but often we change it, or ignore it, or forget it altogether. (Remember all those New Year’s Resolutions.) Verifying my ancestor’s information has no deadline. How about getting your grandparent’s life story? (Mom finally wrote her own.) You have plenty of time, right? We think they are going to live forever. Do you have blank places in your family tree? Are there people you still need to find? These things have no hard fast deadlines. So, how do I make it urgent? Well, if you know the secret, please let me know.
Deadlines create accountability
Well, here are a few things you may try. Setting goals for a shorter time frame with due dates often help me make myself accountable. When I know what the end result will look like, I can break the goal into pieces. This helps in a family history project. Decide what ancestor to work on and then give yourself a timeline. Maybe complete one person by Sunday night. For me, chopping a goal into smaller chunks makes it more manageable.
Can you imagine your goal?
Having a clear picture of what you are trying to create, or what your goal is will help you reach your goal. The picture you imagine doesn’t have to be really clear, but you have to be able to recognize it when you achieve it. My goal with getting the log into the stove was very clear, to keep the fire inside the stove and keep the house from burning down. I knew what the finished goal looked like and I was very relieved when my goal was realized.
Make a list to stop procrastinating
Make a to-do list. Some people don’t like list-making, but for me, there’s something about checking things off of a list that helps me. Maybe it’s a fake deadline. Be careful not to put too many things on your list. Remember Mayhem? He works tirelessly to disrupt your goals. Create your daily list to be manageable.
Quarter calendar
Often our goals are set for the year starting in January. If you are like me, you can just change the date on last year’s goals and be good. Then, by February, new challenges make the goals fade into the past. This year, I heard of the quarter calendar concept. Instead of making the goals for a year, do it by quarter. What do you want to accomplish by the end of March, June, September, and December? Already, the concept has helped me move forward. Break the goals down into monthly, weekly, and daily lists. What do you need to do each day to accomplish your goal? This may help if you are a deadline procrastinator.
Include Jesus Christ in your goals
When we include our Savior Jesus Christ as we set goals, and submit to his will, we may feel a calmness and focus we didn’t feel before. After taking an online class taught by a former Christian Minister, I took the challenge to say yes to letting Jesus Christ guide me in my business. Even though I believe in God, I had not said I would let him help me in this way. I’ve often thought I had to do it myself. I’ve accomplished more in the few days since I did this than in the 9 months previously. Whatever your belief is, ask a higher power to help you in your journey. Just as he helped me pound the log into the fire, he will help you. Especially as you search for your ancestors.
In Conclusion… really
If you too are a deadline procrastinator, you may be able to find help and move forward by turning to God to help you stick to your goals and do your work. Set quarterly goals and drill them down to monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Make a manageable list. Find a way to create deadlines for your goal or find a friend to help make you accountable. If you never find the time to do your family history or you need help, contact us for a free consultation. Work with focused concentration as I did to move the log into the fire. And you may find your goals become achievable after all.
If you would like to watch a good Ted Talk about procrastination which showed me I’m a deadline procrastinator, click here.
