Boost Your Genealogy Workflow With This Simple Productivity Template

Being Busy vs. Being Productive: Optimise Your Research With A Genealogy Checklist

I have great news… I’m going to introduce you a genealogy checklist called the ‘Daily Deals Worksheet’ which will dramatically improve your productivity.

I’m guessing you’re familiar with the feeling of being constantly busy with a never-ending to-do list when working on your genealogy research?

But just because your genealogy workflow means you’re busy, it doesn’t mean you’re productive.

And it’s a relatively (pun intended) common mistake to make!

To avoid the problem, it’s important to understand the difference between being busy and being productive because this distinction can greatly impact your progress.

So, what’s the difference?

Busy – you’re occupied with multiple tasks or activities often without much focus or direction
Productive – you’re achieving results and making progress towards your goals.

Discover If You’re Busy Or Productive With One Question!

Ask yourself this one key question and you’ll quickly find if you’re working smart, or working hard…

“Are my activities moving me closer to my family history goals and contributing to my overall progress?”

If you’re being productive, it means you’re undertaking tasks that matter, whereas if you answered “no, ” it means you’re working on tasks without considering their relevance.

Simply put, being busy is simply filling up your time…

While being productive is making the most of your time.

Imagine if you could have a genealogy checklist that could help you do that?

What Does Productivity Mean for Genealogy?

Productivity is defined as the measure of how efficiently resources, effort, and time are used to achieve desired outcomes.

The great news is, if you’re already working through my Genealogy Research Planner PDF, you will already have some elements of productivity covered (if you don’t have a copy, download it here).

Let’s work through genealogy resources, effort and time as outlined in the definition above…

Resources – driving productivity from our resources is reasonably straightforward for genealogists because we’re not managing a large inventory of moving parts.

Effort – this is key and the Genealogy Research Planner guides you through this process so that you can corral your efforts into your annual, quarterly and monthly goals.

Time – this is the big one and what most people struggle with when working on their family trees.

So, are you really being PRODUCTIVE or just BUSY?

The answer is probably busy – and that’s because you haven’t had access to a genealogy productivity template before…

Let me help you work smarter rather then harder – so you can develop good habits and reach your desired outcomes more quickly.

Daily Productivity Deals – And How to Make Them For Your Family Tree!

When it comes to genealogy workflow improvement, it’s not enough to simply set goals – to make real progress, it’s important to have a plan for each and every day.

And a genealogy checklist that outlines your daily priorities, is a must-have!

Use the Daily Deal Worksheet in the 2023 Genealogy Research Planner to help you which can be downloaded here.

The ‘Daily Deal’ is a strategic, slightly lofty promise that you make yourself each day – it gives you direction and helps you focus on what’s important.

When you’re working on your family genealogy, many researchers struggle to work out what they need to do on a day-to-day basis.

Well I have you covered…

The Daily Deal Worksheet (this genealogy checklist is included in the 2023 Genealogy Research Planner) is a template that helps you identify your priorities and provides you with clarity and certainty around your research activities.

And it’s so easy to use – here are some genealogy research notes to get you started:

Step-By_Step Guide To The Daily Deal Worksheet

Print multiple copies of the template, store them close to your workspace and use a fresh one every day.
Start by writing the date and your monthly goals at the top of the page.
Then, do a brain dump of all the tasks (big and small) you need to complete for your Monthly Milestones.
Plot these tasks into the Eisenhower Matrix based on their importance and urgency.
Finally, choose the three most important tasks from the “DO IT FIRST” quadrant and make these your ‘3 To Thrive.’
Your 3 To Thrive tasks represent your promise to yourself for the day – this is your Daily Deal that will move you closer to achieving your goals.
Rinse and repeat each day.

Your Daily Deal genealogy checklist is an excellent tool for optimising your genealogy workflow.

And the secret to its success is combining the strengths of the Eisenhower Matrix and the ‘3 to Thrive’ concept – so let’s explore those in a little more detail…

The Eisenhower Matrix Tool – A Genealogy Workflow Game Changer

The Eisenhower Matrix which is included in the Daily Deal genealogy checklist, is a well-known time management tool that was popularised by President Dwight D. Eisenhower – it’s said he used these principles to make decisions.

This tool allows you to categorise your tasks based on their importance and urgency and consists of these key elements:

2 Axes – the ‘Important’ axis and the ‘Urgent’ axis
4 Quadrants – the coordinates of these two axes create the four quadrants that measure tasks based on their importance and urgency:

- DO IT FIRST – these are the most important and urgent tasks
- OUTSOURCE IT – tasks that are still urgent but less important
- DEFER/SCHEDULE IT – important tasks that are less urgent
- FORGET IT – tasks that are neither super important nor urgent

By using this matrix, you can gain clarity on your to-do list and prioritise your tasks with ease.

The ‘3 To Thrive’ Tool

3 to Thrive is based on a concept by Tony Robbins that creates emphasis and focus, and when used in conjunction with the Eisenhower Matrix, becomes even more powerful.

This tool gives the ultimate way to focus your activities every day. It outlines your purpose and direction because it states the three tasks you need to prioritise above everything else for the day – it’s that straightforward!

All you have to do is identify the three most important tasks from the ‘DO IT FIRST’ quadrant of the Eisenhower Matrix and make a promise to yourself to complete these tasks before the end of the day.

This emphasis and focus on the most important tasks helps to ensure that you are working towards your goals and making great progress.

The 3 to Thrive tool helps you to work more productivity because you’re effectively following the 80:20 rule – working on the 20% of tasks that will yield 80% of the results.

Choose Productivity Over Busy To Improve Your Genealogy Workflow…

Use the Daily Deal Worksheet and it will move the needle toward reaching your goals – it brings your long-term goals into sharp, short-term focus.

By using these tools and making a Daily Deal each day, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more productive and successful genealogist.

If you need some help, I have a recorded training on this topic in my ‘Organise Your Genealogy‘ Facebook group.

Your Genealogy Checklist Can Be Downloaded Here

2023 Genealogy Research Planner

Which can be downloaded here