Hi Reader,

Mid-way through Week 1 of Family History Month, and I'm curious what's surfacing as you take inventory of what you already have.

If you're just getting started, here's where to focus your energy this week:

The 10-minute photo review: Don't organize everything. Just look through one box or folder of photos and note any with dates, names, or locations written on them. If you're checking digital photos, look through your files and note which ones are labeled with dates, names, locations, or events. Those details are research clues!

Don't worry about organizing them perfectly or digitizing anything right now - we'll tackle that later. The goal is just to identify what treasures you already have.

The family story brain dump: Set a timer for 15 minutes and write down every family story you remember hearing, even the weird or questionable ones. Don't worry about accuracy - just capture what you remember.

The "what do I actually have" inventory: Make a quick list of your existing research materials. Not to organize them perfectly, but to remind yourself what you're working with. Starting over or reviewing early research is actually a good strategy - you have more context and experience now than when you first started.

🛠️ WEEK 1 RESOURCES REMINDER

From the blog: " 4 Death Certificate Clues Everyone Misses (The Hidden Stories)" - If you haven't read this yet, it's the perfect example of finding more in what you already have.

New YouTube video: "No, You Do Not Need Another Record! | What Your Genealogy is Missing" - Watch this before you subscribe to another database or order another record.

For deep photo analysis: My "Cracking the Family Photo Code" method helps you extract genealogy clues from any family photo.

Week 1 reality check:

If you haven't started yet, that's fine. If you started but got overwhelmed, that's also fine. This exploration works at whatever pace fits your life.

The goal isn't to solve every family mystery this month. It's to reconnect with the family history work you're already doing and maybe discover something that's been hiding in plain sight.

What's next: Wednesday's email will transition us into Week 2's focus: preservation. We'll tackle simple strategies to protect what you're discovering.

If you're finding loose photos or documents during your Week 1 inventory, check out my Amazon recommendations page for storage solutions that actually protect family materials.

Keep me posted on what you're finding,