For anyone browsing Malachain, here is a clear starting point on the subject.
Family history research begins at home. Talk to older relatives, write down names, dates and places while memories are available, and collect certificates, letters and photographs. Work backwards one generation at a time from what you know for certain. Starting with distant ancestors and working forwards usually leads to mistaken connections.
Census returns, birth, marriage and death registers, military service files and immigration records are kept by national and local archives, and many can be searched online. Record the source of every fact so it can be checked later. When two records disagree, look for a third before deciding, and treat family stories as useful clues rather than established facts.
If you try any of these ideas, start small and adjust them to your own situation. What works for one person will not suit everyone, and it is fine to keep only the parts that help. Writing down what you changed, and what happened, makes it much easier to see after a few weeks whether the effort was worthwhile.
The most useful step is usually the first one. Pick a single suggestion, try it for a couple of weeks, and then decide whether it is worth keeping. Small, steady improvements last longer than ambitious plans that are hard to maintain once everyday life gets busy again.
It also helps to talk the subject through with friends or colleagues who have tried something similar. Their experience points out the details that guides leave out: how long things really take, which costs were unexpected, and which shortcuts turned out to be a mistake.