New Year’s Goals for Genealogists: 10 Things to Do or Try in 2026

A fresh year is the perfect time to re-energize your research, tackle long-standing mysteries, and discover new tools that make genealogy more fun and more productive. Here’s a 10-point checklist to guide your 2026 family history journey!

1. Organize digital files Give your research a fresh foundation by sorting folders, renaming files, and backing everything up. Even small improvements now will save you time and frustration later.
   

2. Revisit one brick wall Pick one stubborn research problem and take a fresh look at it. New records, tools, or DNA matches may provide clues that didn’t exist the last time you checked.
   

3. Try an AI transcription or analysis tool Use emerging AI tools to transcribe handwriting, search documents, or extract names and places. These tools can speed up tedious tasks and help you spot connections you might otherwise miss.
   

4. Update DNA matches and clustering Spend time reviewing new matches, updating notes, and labelling clusters. DNA databases grow every year, so reviewing regularly can reveal patterns you didn’t see before.
   

5. Interview a family member Record a conversation with a parent, grandparent, aunt, or cousin. Personal stories and memories add richness to your tree and can’t be found in documents.
   

6. Learn one new genealogical skill Choose one skill, like reading land records or using maps, and dive in. Learning something new opens new pathways in your research and deepens your understanding.
   

7. Digitize and label a set of photos Digitize a small set of photos and add names, dates, and short captions. You’ll protect fragile memories and make it easier for others to enjoy and learn from them.
   

8. Join a community or indexing project Join an indexing project, partner with a local archive, or help with digitization. Your efforts help preserve history and can also teach you new methods and sources.
   

9. Complete a small research project Choose one achievable goal, like writing a brief ancestor biography or documenting a migration. Small projects create momentum and provide satisfying results without overwhelm.
   

10. Plan a research road trip Visit a courthouse, cemetery, library, or ancestral town. Seeing places firsthand can spark new ideas and deepen your emotional connection to your research.

Tobias History Research is a premier provider of history research and archives management services. With 20+ years of professional experience, founder Vicki Tobias helps clients expertly discover their history and enthusiastically share their stories. Learn more about her services.