50 Day Family History Bloggers Challenge - Day 1
Publish one post every day for 50 days
Tracking Down The Family’s 50-Day Blogging Challenge Begins
Day 1/50
I do love a challenge, and this is my own personal blogging challenge. For the next 50 days, I will be posting here every single day, with a mix of short and longer posts about family history research, ancestor stories, genealogy tips and the resources that I love to use.
Some posts will be reflective, some practical, and many will spotlight the incredible genealogy community I’ve connected with over the years. There will also , of course, be posts about my ancestors taken from over 40 years of research.
I’m sure most readers would probably be asking why I would take on a challenge like this. Following are a few of my thoughts, as I was thinking about what comes next.
Why 50 Days of Blogging?
After decades of researching my family history, I have a huge amount of information to share, and to get published, so that it’s available for any of my descendants who may develop an interest in their family history. There are not only the stories of my ancestors, but also the tools, methods, and ideas that have helped me along the way.
Today in Mission:Genealogy’s Round Table discussion Linda Stufflebean, an avid genealogy researcher and blogger, told us that she had published a blog post every day for well over 100 days. I’m sorry that I can’t remember the exact number but it was ‘a lot’. I was in awe.
After the session was over, I was thinking about it.
What if I could post for 100 days straight? - No, I’m fairly sure I couldn’t do that.
What if I could post for 50 days straight. - Imagine the chunk of research I could publish in 50 days?
Could I really do it, without feeling overwhelmed. - I didn’t think so.
At the moment, I am usually publishing two posts weekly. - Posting every day is much more than that.
These thoughts were running through my head, until I decided that yes I could do it.
And here we are! Inspired by Linda, I have decided to bite the bullet and just do it. I have been blogging for many years, but committing to publishing a post every single day for 50 days would allow me to get a head start and to get a chunk of information online in a short period of time.
Consistency and momentum: I am sure that blogging daily will be helpful in building a strong habit. It may even fuel creativity, keep me focused, and help me to strengthen my voice, both as a researcher and family history storyteller.
Connect with community: This is becoming very important to me as I get older. I now have much more appreciation for the importance of community, and strive to develop it around me. Every post is an opportunity for connection, whether that’s with readers, fellow bloggers, curious beginning researchers, or cousins.
Sharing our stories sparks new conversations, and sometimes leads to new discoveries. I can’t count the times that reading another blogger’s post, sparks something in me, that leads me to publish my own post. That spark could produce an idea on a completely different topic, but every idea is a gem.
Create a rich archive: By the end of 50 days, I will have built a small library of posts filled with ideas, insights, family stories, resources and reflections that will be available to all, long after the challenge ends.
Organise and reflect on research: Daily blogging encourages me to revisit old notes, polish up stories I have half finished, and think more clearly about where the gaps and possibilities lie in my research.
Honour the Stories: Every family story I write is a tribute to those who came before me, and the paths they trod. My ancestors struggled and left behind their legacy that allows me to have the wonderful life that I live today. Any time I write a blog post, my challenge is to keep these stories alive and encourage others to do the same.
What You Can Expect
Each week, I will share the following:
5 short posts — tips, tools, quotes, quick stories, and recommendations.
2 longer posts — deeper dives into ancestors’ lives, research methods, and personal reflections.
If you’re a fellow blogger or researcher, I’d love for you to follow along. Perhaps you would like to join in with your own 50 day blogging streak!
There are no rules, except for publishing one post every day. Your post can be on any topic. Let me know if you decide to join me, so I that I can be sure not to miss any of your posts. I will be sure to share your posts around. So who’s up for 50 days of fun?
