Courtesy of Amethyst Studio from The Noun Project What Do You Seek? There's an old story about the cop walking his beat when he encounters an old man on his hands and knees under the street light. "What are you looking for, buddy?" The reply: "I'm looking for my car keys." Cop says, "there are no cars right close. Where did you lose them?" Reply: "I dropped them when getting out of my car, but the light is here!" Do you sometimes feel that way while you are searching for records, and finding nothing? Have you considered that Ancestry or FamilySearch might not have the records you seek?   Or that the record you wish for was never created? What's the Plan? When I began doing genealogy research, I never had a plan, didn't know one could plan research, and I'm sure I would have thought the idea of taking research time to create a plan was ridiculous!   These days, some of my research is still unplanned. After studying Research Li

Is Routine Boring? Routine,  boring, humdrum. Or, habits which free you from confusion and endless decisions! Routine helps you get to work quickly and move through a process efficiently. Do you have research routines and templates for your genealogy? Lately I've been trying to develop research routines and templates, and recently saw a video that snapped into focus what I was trying to do. Call it the power of three .  Connie Knox's Genealogy TV episode  Ancestry and FamilySearch, FindMyPast or MyHeritage: Family Tree Trifecta Strategy  describes her professional routine for each person: work three sites with three search strategies each (3x3x3) with the goal of 27 new facts and sources. Complete this cycle for each person you are reviewing, each new place, and each new FAN club member as they come into view. The power of three can keep you focused and successful.  Become a Fan of FANs FANs are F amily, A ssociates and N eighbors . Sometimes we race right past the names of