Progress lies in Momentum
Hi Reader,
Can you believe it’s already April? As I reflect on the first quarter of this year, I have to admit a bit of panic also creeps in. I don’t know about you, but I always tend to start off the year with a lot of energy and just as many plans. But as usual, life gets in the way of some of the things I had on my agenda and sometimes priorities shift. So, every quarter, I invest a little time to evaluate how much my plans are actually still in line with my goals and realistic, taking into account the capacity I actually have. UX career progression isn’t linear and it’s the little curve balls and distractions that make it hard to stay on track. Taking time to refocus, realign, and pivot where needed helps ensure you don’t lose momentum and keep moving in the right direction.
Here are some things that might help you plan for progress:
Kill the fluff
Whether you are working a steady UX design role or looking for your next position, life is busy enough as it is. Take a look at the things you have planned for career growth and evaluate if they are truly goal-focused or simply nice to have. In my coaching practice, I encounter many UXers who go for product management and coding boot camps in hopes of increasing their chances of career progression. Many of these people have a solid understanding of the common UX methods but struggle to find new things to learn in our field. While I value looking beyond discipline borders and fostering that understanding, I question if a basic course in a different discipline will be the best use of your time unless you want to transition into that field. You should look for what you feel you are missing and target the things that impact your immediate goals most.
Simplify your planning
Do you ever feel like you spend more time using your planning tool than you do on actually achieving things? I am definitely guilty of that myself. As UX designers, we have a passion for systems that are beautiful to use and run like well-oiled machines, so it can be tempting to want to get it right. I make the most progress when I treat my planning like an MVP. I set up the simplest system to help me get moving and run with that. Simple, well-defined goals and action steps help me keep momentum and measurable outcomes to help me focus my energy toward progress.
Drop things that aren’t working
I know the pressure of being an end-to-end UX professional. It feels like you need to know everything, from strategy to beautiful UI. But guess what? Finding out what works for you and what doesn’t is essential to your career progress. If you notice you are not making progress in one area, and it is beginning to drain more energy from you than you are getting, dropping the direction may be the right thing to do. Don’t waste your time and effort; free up your capacity to improve in areas where you shine. It’s like testing out your design solutions. If it doesn’t work, try something different.
It’s not about the goals
Ultimately, career growth isn’t about how high you can set your aim; it’s about how many steps you can take forward. No matter how high or low you might set your goal, whether or not you achieve it depends on your ability to execute the steps between the current state and the desired outcome. So yes, by all means, set goals that inspire you to action, but let go of the idea that your achievements are binary goals, hit or missed. Every action you take in the right direction is a small win for your career progress.
Reflective Question
What steps have you taken toward your career progression in the last quarter?