Ever feel like you’d like to spend more time on genealogy but just don’t have the time? You’ve probably heard time and time again that we can’t get more time. There’s only 24 hours in a day. It’s how we manage those 24 hours that gets us into trouble.

Below are a number of ideas and strategies to spare some minutes during the day or week taken from less important activities that tend to “fill up” our time. We’ve listed what you should at least how much time free up. Of course, feel free to free up more time if you get going.

Plan it (30-60 Minutes a Week)

You can add time to your family history research if you plan it. Sounds simple enough. You make appointments to go to the doctor, you make appointments to do many other things and plan around them. Well, this is one of the easiest ways to add an extra hour or half an hour. Just put it on your calendar and plan around the time. Better yet, consistently set aside a certain day and time that you work on family history.

Be More Efficient (30 Minutes a Day)

Yeah, it’s vague, but being more efficient in what you do can really help. Look for ways to be more efficient:

  1. Tasks you normally perform (cleaning the house, etc.)
  2. Actual genealogy research

If you’re more efficient at what you do, you’ll be able to do more. If you can do more, you’ll get more done.
Mmm…someone ought to wright that down; sounds profound.

Get Organized (30 Minutes a Week)

Along with being efficient, if your family history work is organized, you’ll be able to easily startup where you last left off instead of spending hours trying to figure out where you were. You’ll also be able to conduct your research in a more effective manner by knowing where you’ve stored your records.

If you’re like most of us, you’ll spend a good 15-30 minutes just trying to figure out where you left off last week or month. By staying organized, you’ll be able to jump right in and be more efficient. Creating a work log can help you keep track of current genealogy projects you’re working on.

Exercise and Eat Good Food (15 to 30 Minutes a Day)

Wait a minute, doesn’t it take up time to exercise? Yes, it does. However, I’ve found that when I keep a good exercise schedule, I feel better, sleep better, and have more energy. If I have all those things, I won’t feel too tired to work on family history work at the end of the day.

The Internet (30 Minutes a Day)

Spend at least 30 minutes online every day? Is it quality time or just surfing the Web? If you’re just casually viewing web pages and news, hunker down and get to work on family history

The Television (Free up 30-60 Minutes a Day)

The average person watches over 4 hours of television a day, that’s right, a day! “That’s incredible, surely I don’t watch that much television!” That might be your initial reaction, but don’t be too hasty in making that determination. You might not watch over 4 hours a day, but you may be closer than you think.

Find out how much you television media you consume by:

  1. Counting your favorite TV shows, and add up the amount of time each day you watch them (don’t forget the wonderful news channels you watch as well).
  2. Keep a piece of paper near your television and write down when and how long you watch. This exercise alone will probably help you cut down on time in front of the television.

Rank the importance of the shows you watch. How important are the shows you watch? Do they help you save lives? Do they increase your standard of living? Do they teach you something important that you will use on the job or directly in your daily family life? I think it’s safe to say that many TV programs fail those questions.

I’m not saying no television, but I am saying that if you rank the shows you watch in terms of importance, you could probably do without the least important show you watch. Take that time (could be 30 minutes or an hour depending on the show) and use it for family history research.

Get up Earlier (10-30 Minutes a Day)

Don’t wait until the end of the day to do family history. Get up just a little bit earlier. Half an hour is manageable isn’t it? Rise a few minutes early in the morning and give it a shot looking up records on the line you’ve been researching.

Collaborate with Others (30-60 Minutes a Week)

Can’t do it all yourself? Don’t worry, enlist the help of others. Usually there are a couple people in the extended family that are interested in family history work. Many family members want to help, but aren’t sure what to do or where to start. Create a few simple research projects and ask your family to help out.