I like setting goals for genealogy and writing. Below are my 2012 goals, and also the “report card” for how I did with those goals I outlined in my “Eleven for ’11” post.

Goals for 2012

1. Continue to diversify my freelance career to achieve a financially successful balance between writing, speaking, and teaching.

2. Publish a new book.

3. Publish Kindle, iPad, and Nook versions of my Baba’s Kitchen and Three Slovak Women books.

4. Step out of my comfort zone and branch out into new writing markets (Query at least three non-genealogy publications and get the assignments).

5. Continue my search for information about my grandmother’s brother who stayed in Slovakia.

6. Find out more about another ancestor who left Slovakia for Argentina.

7. Finally explore genealogy offerings in Second Life.

8. Develop and present more webinars/virtual lectures.

9. Learn more about Google Plus (G+) and how I can use it for genealogy/writing.

10 Continue purging excess clutter. Move more in the direction of paperless systems; organize my home office!

11. Write more blog posts (both on this blog and The Catholic Gene).

12. Eliminate any negative thoughts, energies, and activities that serve as obstacles or block me from achieving my goals.

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My Report Card for Eleven for ’11

[As the New Year approaches, I’ve composed a list of 11 genealogy/writing goals I have for 2011].

1. Follow up on researching my Alzo ancestors using information I obtained from my trip to Slovakia this summer: It seems I never have enough time to research my own family, but I believe I made decent progress on this goal. My great-grandfather was a “bird of passage” who traveled back and forth between America Slovakia to earn money to purchase land. I was able to track down passenger arrival lists to document his comings and goings.

2. Publish revised editions (and electronic versions) of my books, Three Slovak Women and Baba’s Kitchen. Published print versions (and ebook version for BK) Next up: Versions for Kindle, Nook, and iPad.

3. Try to find out more about my grandmother’s brother who stayed in Slovakia. Still working on this with the help of researcher, Michal Razus, in Slovakia.

4. Publish a new book. Did not meet this goal due to extenuating circumstances. But I did publish second editions of two of my books (see #2 above)

5. Explore genealogy in Second Life. I created an account and poked around a bit; but never had time to explore as I had hoped. Will try in 2012!

6. Book additional speaking engagements–including some remote/virtual lectures. Did this. See Top 10 Genealogy and Writing Moments for 2011.

7. Blog more frequently and try to use Twitter more for genealogical purposes. I didn’t blog as often as I would have liked to (although I did write five posts for The Catholic Gene). I think I used Twitter as much as I had anticipated I would.

8. Continue to expand my freelance writing career. Did this and still working on it!

9. Write for at least 15 minutes per day (about ancestors or topics not associated with assignments or deadline projects). I’m happy to say that I was able to do this most days, with a few exceptions when I was on the road.

10. Finish organizing my father’s scrapbook of his basketball days. I accomplished this and am so happy about it!

11. Purge, purge, purge the clutter! Organize all the other! Didn’t do quite enough, but I made an effort.

Copyright, 2011, Lisa A. Alzo