#52Ancestors: Challenge

You know that old riddle that ends "this man's father is my father's son?" Well, as I ponder this week's #52ancestors prompt, "challenge", I can't help but think this genealogist's biggest challenge is herself! And, that's no joke!

So, my "challenge" for the year is to KonMari my genealogy. If you're not familiar with this latest decluttering method based on keeping only things that "spark joy" it's become so popular it has inspired its own series on Netflix. Although some find her methods overly ruthless -- Keep your tidy, spark-joy hands off my book piles, Marie Kondo -- there is something to be said for taking the time to deeply examine what you have on occasion.

With regards to genealogy, taking the time to revisit every record or note you've saved almost always reveals a detail you overlooked or that now has new meaning because of something you've learned since the last time you thought about that person or family.

This may not be quite the challenge intended by this week's prompt but after several tumultuous years, I realized that the joy genealogy research has brought me for so many years has been diminished as a result of not having reclaimed my work environment at home. Although I am generally a very organized person, refiling has always been my nemesis, leading to longstanding "paper management issues." 

Part of the reason I embarked on #52ancestors was to use this weekly structure to spark organizing my research. I hope making this is a priority for 2019 will enable me to rekindle more of the joy being a family historian has always brought me. My love for family history research has never faltered but clearing the physical clutter always gives me the mental space to write those proof arguments, citations and other "big thinks" my research is just waiting for!