The “Get It Done List” I Wish More People Had
Recently, one of my clients shared something simple—and very powerful—with me.
She told me she keeps a small journal where she writes down what she has already done with her photos and what still needs attention. She calls it her “Get It Done List.”
Not a perfect plan.
Not a complicated system.
Just a place to keep moving forward.
And then something happened that showed exactly why this matters.
Her brother passed away.
Like so many families do in those moments, she suddenly needed photographs for a memorial. Not next month. Not someday. Right away.
Because she had already been working through her collection—and keeping track of what she had done—she knew where to start looking. She knew what had already been scanned. She knew what still existed only in boxes. She knew which photos she could share.
Instead of starting from scratch during a difficult time, she already had a path forward.
That’s the quiet power of a “Get It Done List.”
Photo organizing isn’t just about neatness
Many people think photo organizing is something you do when you finally have time.
But most of us begin because something happens:
a family reunion
a milestone birthday
a move
a health change
a request from a relative
or a loss in the family
When those moments arrive, the question becomes:
Can I find what I need when my family needs it?
My client could.
Not because everything was finished.
Because something had been started.
A “Get It Done List” reduces overwhelm
When collections are large—and most genealogy collections are—people often feel stuck before they begin.
A simple running list can change that.
Your list might include things like:
Scan Mom’s wedding photos
Label the reunion pictures from the 1980s
Identify the people in Grandpa’s album
Back up the photos on the old laptop
Ask Aunt Mary about the mystery envelope
Every checkmark builds confidence.
Every small step creates momentum.
Your list becomes a roadmap for your family history
One unexpected benefit of a “Get It Done List” is that it turns a big project into something manageable.
Instead of thinking:
“I have thousands of photos to organize.”
You begin thinking:
“I know what I’m working on next.”
That shift matters.
It makes progress possible.
You don’t have to finish everything to make a difference
My client didn’t have her entire collection completed.
She didn’t need to.
Because she had already started, she could help her family when it mattered most.
That’s what photo organizing really gives us.
Not perfection.
Preparedness.
A simple place to begin
If you don’t already have one, consider starting your own “Get It Done List.”
It can live:
in a notebook
on a sheet of paper
or in a note on your computer
What matters isn’t the format.
What matters is forward motion.
Because the work you do today becomes the help your family needs tomorrow.
If you’re working on your own photo collection and wondering where to start, the Photo Organizing Hero program walks you through the process one step at a time. Each month focuses on a manageable action so you can build momentum and confidence as you go. You’re welcome to join us whenever you’re ready to begin. Join now and be a founding member.
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