Slowing Down

... giving myself time to breathe. 

What an amazing year 2014 has already proven to be! I have met many of my personal and business goals, and have made some incredible discoveries along the way. I have enjoyed every minute of it, but I have to admit, I am at the point where I need to make some decisions.

I recently accepted a full time position with findmypast as the Outreach Manager, US & Canada. I could not be happier about this role, as it is well suited to my talents and my passions. I love every minute of my work with them. Going back to a 40 hour a week schedule has been a transition process, for our entire family, and requires a bit of "getting used to time."

In addition, I happily signed up for a couple of volunteer roles this year, specifically with the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), and have immersed myself in those projects. They are important to me, and an asset to the genealogy community. There is an ongoing list of other projects and programs I have been involved in over the past couple of years, including this blog. All of this requires time; time I don't necessarily have anymore.

All of this has led me to the decision to simply slow down. I have prioritized my projects and will be pulling out of a handful more adventures over the coming weeks. I feel good about my decisions and feel that I am putting the best of myself into my career, and creating time to devote to my family, friends, and community. While I am not planning to completely stop blogging here, I am planning on slowing down. And I wanted to give my readers a heads up, because that's only fair.

Watch for more content on fraternal societies, because I simply cannot resist! I will also try to post as I attend conferences and events on behalf of findmypast. I'll be traveling again soon to the SCGS Jamboree and the FGS 2014 Conference "Gone to Texas" in San Antonio.

With deep respect for all of my friends here, I'm signing off for a bit.

Regards,

Jen

Me, summer 2013. Photo taken by my then four year old.
All rights reserved. 'Cause she deserves credit. 

2014: Excitement Awaits

It's that time. 

You see it everywhere, in various formats. Resolutions, goals, changing direction, adapting, thinking "outside the box," etc., etc., etc. Most small business owners, corporate employees and entrepreneurs go through some sort of directional process at the end of one year, the beginning of the next. I believe its an important ritual for many of us; determining where we've been, where we want to be, what we see for ourselves. Giving yourself a direction to move in gives the minuscule tasks of daily life a bigger purpose, right?


I am no different, and have been pondering my options for a few weeks now. Last year, I did decide to follow the example set by Chris Brogan, and created my vision of 2013 around three words (read about my 2013 selection here). It worked. I was able to maintain focus on those three words, and what I had created around them, for the entire year, and I was successful in many of the goals I had created for myself.


This year, another three words have been chosen to reflect what I want to see for myself and my business in 2014.

Coaching: I see coaching in a lot of what I do already, and I really, really enjoy it. I love helping people learn, whether it is through a one-on-one session on Skype, using a tool like #genchat, or speaking to a live audience. One thing 2013 proved to me is that my future is not dependent on doing traditional client work in order to function in the professional realm of genealogy; I can branch into a variety of different area's to engage an audience and create a viable income stream. The enjoyment I get from brainstorming sessions, developing new ideas, and just allowing my creative nature to help me in exploring this very academic world is hard to duplicate any where else in my business life. Coaching - in all its various forms - allows me to continue to do all of those things I enjoy so much. I spent a great deal of time in 2013 developing the platforms that I plan on expanding on in 2014 to continue to coach, both other people as well as myself.


Adventure: There are so many opportunities for adventure in the genealogy industry. Consider that every time you volunteer for a new project, develop a new personal interest, engage in some sort of self-education... that is an adventure! I have two significant volunteer projects lined up for 2014, which I am very excited about: Co-Chair of The NextGen Genealogy Network, which started in 2013, of course; and I will be assisting an already amazing team with the social media for the Preserve the Pensions Project on behalf of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS).  Other adventures await, I know, such as continuing the ProGen study group, attending conferences, and developing my personal research interests in fraternal societies and mining records.


Innovate: I used the word "innovate" a lot already in the later half of 2013, and I think its important enough to continue the theme. In looking ahead to 2014, I see a lot of opportunity, some that is not fully taken advantage of from a business perspective, in this industry as a whole. Those ideas are good, they just need follow through (for me, this includes some of the projects I have started already as well as those I see others' doing). The concept of "innovate" in the new year means not only to create new concepts, but also to take what is already there and bring it forward. To keep the momentum rolling behind an already proven concept.


There it is. My plan, concept and outline of 2014. There are many sub-categories and bulleted lists behind it all (I'm way too type A to not have those), but I love the idea of three concepts I can stand behind for the year. It allows for a more streamlined focus as I move through daily life, becomes more realistic in general to maintain, and to be honest, three words are way easier to remember than a two page list of goals!