Getting Started

If you're reading this page, chances are you getting ready to start or have already started your search for your ancestors and/or started your family tree. Sometimes, it's easier to just jump into it head first, much like I did, and learn through trial and error. Having said that, I wish I had stopped a little earlier in my journey to clarify what I was really trying to accomplish and how I was going to do it. Nevertheless, it's not too late to sit back and ask yourself a few questions to help clarify your goals. Once you have your goals set, you can begin your search with a plan that takes into account your budget, how much time you will be able to invest in it and most importantly how you will do it. Keep in mind that there are so many resources available online and offline that a person can literally work on their family history for years, if they wish (and some do!), which is why it's a good idea to have a plan.

Step 1: Ask yourself these questions

Big Picture: What do I want to try and accomplish?
How much time do I have to put into my research? Having an answer to this will give you an idea of where and how you can spend your time. If you won't have a lot of time, simply working on populating your family tree may be the best first step. Down the road, once you have some good branches in your tree, you can explore deeper roots and more details on your ancestors. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Some people just do not have enough time in their day and that's OK. Just getting started is the most important thing here.
Aside from the names of my ancestors, what else do I want to know about my ancestors? Maybe you want to know more about how they lived. How did they sustain themselves? Where were they actually born and what were their surroundings like? How and where did they die? You won't necessarily find the answers to these on many church records but other sources can help you find answers.
How far back do I want to go? It's pretty safe to say that if your ancestors are from Mexico, then chances are your earliest roots stem from the indigenous tribes that inhabited this area along with the southern Europeans that made their way to the New World. When did they arrive? Where did they arrive and what did they do once they were here? What drove them to slowly make their way up north into the harshest elements of northern Nueva Viscáya? While you won't necessarily know why this happened, an understanding of some of the history can possibly provide some insight into the possibilities.

Step 2: Get Organized!

Decided on a software platform from which you will perform your search and create your family tree. There are a number of software options on the market. My recommendation is Ancestry.com which comes as a free account with some limitations or as a paid subscription which provides everything you will need. I recommend this because it is the same platform that owns the Family Search information so the records and research are easier to link in one place. This is also what I have been using from the beginning and I am quite happy with it. There are other platforms out there so do your research.***
Find a place to keep your notes, whether handwritten or on a computer. If you use software, it will probably have a notes section that you can attach to individuals in your tree or perhaps you want to keep it in an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet for future sorting or search capabilities. A dedicated notebook for handwritten notes works as well. Much of this decision depends on how much information you want to gather.
Create your own organized library on your computer to keep any information that you do not put, or cannot put, into your family tree software. This can be your home for all your family photos, scanned images, sources of information, books and articles you want to read, etc. Organize it like a filing cabinet so that you can find the things you need in a way that works for you.

***When you select a software platform, keep in mind that this will become the platform to which you can centralize all of your work and to be able to attach records, files, photos and other media for your collection, if you choose. One of the best things about the large family tree software programs is that they can export a GEDCOM file (.ged) that can be imported or exported out of any of the major family tree software. This is important because you can essentially make a change from one piece of software to another if you are not happy with your current software or you can just export the file to your computer for future use, if you want to stop for a while or need to stop for some reason.

Step 3: Start Your Journey

Now that you have some software, some note-taking ability and a place on your own computer to organize and store your work, then Get Started!
Begin by collecting the names, locations and ANY other information you can get your hands on regarding your family. This might include notes or stories that have been passed down through your family with regard to people places or events.
In your software, begin with yourself as "home base" and start populating the people and names that you know. Remember, the last couple of generations are going to be digital files, for most things, which will make them easier to find.
Once you have input some names, you should start to see "Hints" (Ancestry software) that will provide leads for an individual or related family members. Red Alert: DO NOT enter or attach any individual or their records to your tree unless you are 100% certain that it belongs there . If you are fairly sure, but not 100%, create your own system as a way to mark an individual as "speculative" for your own tracking. That will tell you that you're not 100% sure. Entering incorrect people into your tree can lead you down the wrong path and could cost you additional mistakes and lost time in the future. This can be a huge problem considering the fact that so many people used the same or similar names in Mexico.
Communicate with your family about some of your findings, especially the older generations in your family who might suddenly recollect something with your information as a trigger. You might encounter an "Oh, yeah!" moment as I did with my family. Have a good organizational system that can store this type of information for you. Record it, write it down or do whatever you need to capture the moment. It will be there for future generations.
Finally, don't let yourself get frustrated and give up. You will hit some brick walls from time to time. Much of what you are looking for is out there, you just have to figure out a way to find it.