You may feel overwhelmed when trying to figure out where to begin.

As they say in The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning”… or, in this case, with the present.

You are the best source for your own life story, so the best place to begin is with what you already know.

Many people can trace their family history back four generations—including themselves, their parents, their grandparents, and their great-grandparents.

A great place to start organizing this information is with a pedigree chart.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a helpful chart you can use.

Start filling in what you already know—names, birth dates, and places for your parents and grandparents.

For some, this may feel harder. You might be adopted or know very little about your family. You may not even know one of your birth parents’ names—and that’s okay.

That’s exactly how I started. All I had was my father’s name from my birth certificate—nothing more.

The key is simple: start with what you do know, and we’ll build from there.

For now, take some time to work on this first step.

Are you starting to feel excited?