This morning I put a second coat of paint on a small shelf and a mailing tube. The shelf had been in our garage for years. The mailing tube contained a Swedish family history chart dating back to 1620, a gift from my cousin, another Tolf descendant.

In its new life the shelf will display my Swedish doll. The mailing tube has become a planter for a DIY’d tree that camouflages a tube light in the corner of my office/sewing room.

The Tolf family history chart is now framed and hung. Once the shelf is dry, my Swedish doll will sit on it, right next to the chart.

Things are coming together (yay!) in what I now think of as My Happy Place thanks to Home Goods, Meijer, Michaels, Amazon, and significant repurposing of things from around the house. My feline friend approves of the changes that include a window perch for her.

Now that I work just three days a week (another yay!) I’ve designated one of my at-home days ‘family history day’. Setting up my office space was one step toward reaching a genealogical goal I’ve had in mind since my husband and I returned from Scandinavia in August.

This first step was inspired by a quote from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, “Design your environment to help you achieve what you want to achieve.” The changes I made in my office also follow James’ four laws of habit formation:

1.) Make it obvious. The walls of my office are filled with pictures of the places from which my ancestors immigrated, photos of my husband and me visiting our international cousins, and items of genealogically sentimental value. It would be impossible NOT to think of family history in this room.

2.) Make it attractive. I have a corner office that is flooded with light when the sun is out in West Michigan. I installed multiple cheery light sources for overcast days. The colors I chose for the walls, the furniture, the organizational and storage supplies are all colors I love. Live plants add a natural element. The room speaks to me and invites me in when I walk past the doorway, and I accept the invitation every time I can.

3.) Make it easy. My desk is large, and I keep it clear. My desk chair is ergonomically set. My genealogy binders are on open shelves just steps away. Pens, paper, and an open notebook are all at my fingertips. There are two arm chairs that allow me to comfortably read materials or enjoy conversations with companion researchers. I have a whiteboard on which I can write a single research question. Every time I encountered a speed bump during the past few months, I would stop and make a correction to my system. Minor issues like folder placement, storage containers, office supplies, file labels, etc. have been fine-tuned to make my research process as seamless as possible.

4.) Make it satisfying. Every mini goal to which I have aspired so far this year has been easy to reach (yay!) because my system is set up for success. I might become a better researcher because I have a system that works for me.

My ancestors may still be challenging to find, but setting out to search for them shouldn’t be a challenge in and of itself.