I’m having some Saturday Night Genealogy Fun (#SNGF), with help from Randy Seaver and his prompts! Feel free to join in.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: January 3, 2026

Prompt: “What are your genealogy goals for 2026?  Consider genealogy research, education, organizing, service, writing, and whatever else you care to share.”

Introduction

How do my passions (genealogy, helping others, learning, and traveling) fit into a meaningful life? To that end, I’ve got very broad and ambitious New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve grouped them into three categories:

1. Adventure: make a positive difference
2. Connection: actively participate in life
3. Rest and reset: care for the whole self

Discussion

Genealogy is encompassed in both Adventure and Connection, and it might be enveloped within your “other” resolutions as well.

I plan to have several genealogy adventures this year. I did opt out of a Research Day in Buffalo, New York in March (I have already been snowed into Rochester and don’t plan to do it again), but I’d like to do it in milder weather. I plan to do several in-person research trips to:

• New York City (which I’m close to)
• Trenton, New Jersey (ditto)

I am considering places like:

• Albany NY (NYG&BS research trip)
• Charleston SC (ancestral stop)
• Fort Wayne IN (NGS Conference)
• Ontario TOR CAN (ancestral stop)
• The Netherlands (NYG&BS Heritage Tour)

Connection includes helping others: I plan to revamp the Richmond County NY GenWeb site I administer, I have started leading an Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group for the Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society, and I continue to work on the next edition of my published Ancestors book.

With the help of AI, I did break my genealogy goals down into quarterly and monthly ones as well, which I have put into tickler files to make plans and assess progress. These monthly goals include education I’m getting (IGHR) which will help me to achieve the objectives above.

My goals – research, education, helping others – are spaced out in order to achieve my third resolution, rest and reset.

Challenge

What do you want to do? Does genealogy fit into your life goals? For example, one of mine is travel, and I can definitely tie the two together and have some fun.

Summary

Goals like adventure, connection, and intentionality are core ingredients to my meaningful life. But concepts without specifics quickly fall flat, and that’s where resolutions come in. Use your resolutions to create meaning for you.

AI Disclosure

This post was created by me with the help of AI tools. While AI helps organize research, the storytelling and discoveries are my own.