In Genealogy, there are many areas that need to be looked at. In point of fact, almost too many mysteries to tackle at one time, if you are searching, as most of us are, for more than one family ancestor.

One of the things that many of us neglect to do is to focus on each area of our genealogy research, one at a time, until we find the solution we wanted, or come to an area where we can’t go any further. THEN, and only then, move ahead to another mystery.

One thing that becomes apparent the more that you enter into genealogical research. You need to keep a narrow focus and try to find one ancestor, or one set of ancestors. Rather than trying to find all of your great grandparents on both sides, settle for one set of your mothers, an begin there. Be specific in what you are looking for and who.

Make vast and myriad notes and keep them near where you are working to keep your focus on that particular solution before moving on to another problem. Genealogy research is something that will lead you in many directions at one time. Keeping the proper focus will help you to resolve your mysteries one at a time until they are all solved.

If you can find your grandfathers father, but not his wife, that will be your area of focus. Jot down questions that might help you in the search, such as, not who was my great great grandmother, but perhaps instead, “did my great great grandmother live near her husband when growing up. In most cases, since long distance travel wasn’t normally an option, you may find an ancestor by using that type thinking.

Quite often, in genealogical research, because of the nature of it, we tend to find ourselves locked into linear thinking which normally will not solve our problems. Only when we begin to look at things from another direction, to find other approaches to the same problem will be come up with solutions.

Begin by asking yourself what you already know. Make notes and organize your information so that it is readily accessible and make time to work on it every week so that it does not become one of the unfinished projects.

Once you organize what you already know, make careful notes of what you still need to find.
Once you know what informatin you have, its a lot easier to accomplish plotting how to get the rest.

For example, when you want to find a grandparent, seek out the neighbors of your grandfathers family. Check into their children, and see if any had the right name, or were the right age and then you’ve taken a step to either finding, or eliminating those women. As you eliminate the neighbors and their children, you may come across one with the right name and the right age group and want to look at her further.

This fashion, one step at a time, will help you a great deal in your search for your ancestry.

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