Spreadsheet Sleuth | January’s Challenge
January always feels like a quiet reset for me. Not a dramatic overhaul—just a chance to take stock, clear a little space, and set myself up for the year ahead.
Why January Starts with a Spreadsheet
For my family history work, that reset almost always starts with a spreadsheet.
I genuinely love spreadsheets. I love the order they bring to my research, the way they let me see everything at once, and the calm that comes from knowing I can actually find what I’ve already done. This month’s challenge, Spreadsheet Sleuth, is all about giving myself that same sense of clarity before I start digging any deeper.
The goal isn’t new research. It’s a gentle inventory of what I already know.
What Spreadsheet Sleuth Looks Like in Practice
In January, I’m creating a separate spreadsheet for each surname I plan to work on this year. Nothing fancy. Just names and dates—births, marriages, deaths—and the basic framework I’ll use again and again as the year unfolds. By setting these up now, I’m building a system I can reuse for deeper research later, without having to reinvent the wheel every time.
This approach helps me in a few important ways. First, it keeps my research organized and easy to find. Second, it makes patterns and gaps much easier to spot. And third, it gives me a clear place to add new discoveries as they come, instead of scattering notes across notebooks, folders, and half-finished documents.
If you’ve ever thought, “I should have done this years ago,” you’re not alone. I’ve had that thought myself more than once. But this month isn’t about catching up or fixing the past. It’s about starting where you are and giving yourself a simple structure that supports the work you want to do next.
This is a low-pressure month by design. I’m spending about 15 minutes here and there, pulling together information I already have and setting up spreadsheets I know I’ll rely on all year. No new records. No deep analysis. Just preparation. To make this easier, I’m sharing a simple spreadsheet template you can use to get started. I’ve also created a short video walkthrough on my YouTube channel where I show exactly how I set mine up—step by step, no complicated formulas required. If spreadsheets feel intimidating, or you just want to see what this looks like in practice, that video will walk you through it calmly and clearly.
A Place to Begin
For me, Spreadsheet Sleuth is about beginning the year feeling grounded instead of scattered. Organized instead of overwhelmed. Ready, but not rushed.
If you feel like January is a good time to quietly get your bearings, I hope you’ll join me.
You’ll find the spreadsheet template and the full tutorial linked below.