Brainstorming my 2014 goals

Over the last few amounts of time, inside the corners of my mind, I've been pondering what directions to go, when to start, and how to know. It strikes me just now that a narrative would do, to write my thoughts out for review. And so I start...

This year should I wait until after RootsTech, when I've have time to get more inspiration, to put my goals into writing. Or rather, shall I write them now? What are some of my ideas?

Well, I've got to make some serious progress on Spanish. I've got to make some serious progress at work with all the things I do for business and research. I'm looking toward the future for my wife and I. I want to buckle down more seriously about genealogy credentials. I've set the goal before, but never gotten any genealogy-specific credentials. I'm interested in it for myself and my own learning, but now I've got to be more serious about supporting my family so credentials mean more job security for us.

I've got to take care of my body. I haven't been exercising enough. I know I like to walk and jogging makes me feel good. I've even got an inside elliptical machine that I play on sometimes, but need to be more consistent. I need to be more consistent in my private prayers and reading scriptures, meditating on the word. I always feel better when I do all those things with full purpose and meaning. Even when I'm not consistent God blesses our family infinitely. The prayer and reading is so that I have a closer connection with him, and let me tell you, it works!

I've had a lot of success in recent years with extending direct genealogical lines on my own ancestry, but I wonder if I should change that goal now. Rather than make a goal to extend lines, might I set a certain number of ancestors who I want to add (with documentation) to my tree this year (for example: descendency research)?

I've also been thinking about something my oldest brother told me a few months ago. He said I should start to give genealogical lectures. I've been teaching small groups of 1, 5, or 25 for years on and off, but never gave lectures to larger groups. I've given a speech to a group of perhaps 100. This past year I had the chance to teach small classes at a local LDS stake workshop, and help organize a family history fair that is happening sometime this year. Working on arranging speakers for the fair, and knowing others who speak at larger conferences, has given me more confidence to perhaps apply next time that a conference I will be attending is looking for speakers.

I've also been more interested in DNA towards the end of 2013. I read a lot more blog posts about it than before, and purchased tests for several relatives. Some of the tests will not be processed until February, but when they are finished I will review the results. I've also had a few professionals who thought that is what I study. When you tell someone you're a "genealogist" for a career, they sometimes think you mean DNA. That made me want to know more about DNA, in the context of genealogy of course. Perhaps someday I will know enough about genetic genealogy to speak on it in a small setting. I think I'll leave it to current experts to speak on that at larger conferences.

As far as education, I've been thinking about something a little different. I've been wanting a masters degree for awhile, but instead of going straight into that I am considering doing an associates in genealogy this year (even though I have a BSc in History already).

So these are some of my thoughts about goals this year. I think I'll wait a little more before making the list of goals to hold myself accountable to.