Maybe for the first time in my life I counted bureaucracy as a blessing. Very strange for me. I hate waiting in lines, I hate filling out forms and my patience level isn't known to be extremely high. While I can be very patient with people, paperwork will annoy me before I've even begun.

However, as with most things in my life, I learned to appreciate what had always driven me crazy. Once I became hooked on genealogy, it was the endless paperwork and documents that made the search for my ancestors fruitful. I simply could not have one without the other.

As I made discoveries in the mountains of microfiche and data bases, I really learned to like the whole mess. It was rather like fishing for me. I'd drop in my line and sometimes I would get a catch, either by skill or luck, and sometimes I'd come up empty.

If I came up empty enough times, I could eliminate that "hole" as a possibility which in itself is a discovery of omission.

So what have I learned overall? Well, let me share some of the basics. First, work backwards. A little bit of advice you're not going to get very often in life. Although if we could work backwards in other things, we might be better off; I know I would be.

Sometimes starting out in genealogy, we want to start with what we don't know rather than what we do know. However, you will unnecessarily complicate the path by doing it this way. It really is easier to start with yourself and work backwards.

Talk with all your living relatives, getting all pertinent information like dates of birth, social security numbers and then everything about them that they are willing to talk about. We can hire detectives for the things they won't talk about -- just kidding.

It is also important to do this now. Don't keep waiting for tomorrow, or someday you will find that tomorrow no longer exists and you will regret having not discovered the rich history that lay before you for the asking.

After you have exhausted this resource, you will be able to use this information to locate other information. For instance, a social security number can be worth gold -- if not at your retirement then certainly in genealogy! If you are lacking a social security number on a relative who died after 1963, you can visit Ancestry Hometown.

At this, site you can search data bases free including one which will give you the social security number of a relative who has passed away. For $4.95 a month you can access larger data bases anytime you'd like. Ancestry Hometown also has free on-site genealogy lessons.

I would also recommend developing a plan. When I first started, I was going every which way and finally figured out that I needed to decide which line to develop.

With two parents, four grandparents, and so on you can't research everything. If you try, plan for a stay in the psychiatric unit because it will definitely drive you crazy. So decide which path to pursue and follow it.

If you get really stuck, you can Ask The Genealogy Lady This site contains valuable information in your search as well as a forum for asking questions. Just reviewing the frequently asked questions archive will not only answer your question, but probably answer ones you didn't know you had yet!

Document your sources so you won't have to backtrack or find yourself researching the same information over again. It's a waste of time, and will cause you frustration. In the beginning, it can be overwhelming to find effective ways to document everything you learn, and every place you've been. In this case, and even not in this case, visit The Treasure Map.

This is a site wealthy in information and how-to advice that you will find fun and easy to use. The Treasure Map also provides a free email newsletter and fun recipes with the history.

More than anything, enjoy the journey. When you get frustrated, step away for awhile and give yourself time to breathe and appreciate the progress you've made.