New Year, New Goals: 6 Resolutions For Every UX Writer
Ready to make this year a great one?
As 2023 has just started, many of us are thinking about resolutions and goals for the year ahead. If you’re a UX writer, you might wonder what resolutions would most benefit your career and personal growth. Here are some ideas to consider:
New year’s resolutions for every UX Writer
1 Improve your writing knowledge and skills
As a UX writer, your job is all about crafting clear, concise, and compelling copy — something that requires talent, skill, and a lot of practice. A great way to continuously improve your skillset as a UX Writer is, for example, by joining a UX Writing Challenge, working your way through a UX Writing book you haven’t read yet, or taking an online class (here, you can find mine on Udemy). These types of resources can provide valuable guidance as you work to improve your craft. Choose those that best fit your needs and get going!
2 Keep up with industry trends
The field of UX writing is constantly evolving, with new best practices and techniques emerging all the time. Make a point to regularly read industry blogs, attend events and conferences (for example the UX Writer Conference or the Tech Circus Product Design Week, which dedicates a full day to UX Writing), or listen to a podcast to keep up with the latest trends in UX Writing. This will help you stay competitive and ensure that your work is always up to date.
3 Get more involved in your community
No matter whether you want to further improve your skills or push your career — being an active member of the community can benefit your work as a UX Writer. Try joining one of the Facebook groups (e.g. Microcopy & UX Writing), LinkedIn communities, or mentoring platforms to share your experiences and learn from others.
4 Set specific goals
To make the most of your year, it’s important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Determine specific areas of your work or personal development that you’d like to focus on, and set specific, achievable goals to help you make progress in those areas. Do you want to learn about a specific area of UX Writing, e.g. accessibility? Do you think your Figma skills could use an upgrade? Whatever your goals may be, be sure to track your progress and celebrate your achievements along the way.
6 Strengthen your personal brand
Strengthening your personal brand is the cherry on top of your career-building strategy, as it can help you stand out from the crowd and attract potential clients or employers. So: this is your gentle reminder to update your LinkedIn profile, polish your portfolio, and finally start building your website. Posting on social networks can also help! But keep in mind: Posting something just to post something can have a counterproductive effect.
7 Practice self-care and resilience
As a UX writer, you may find yourself juggling multiple projects and deadlines at once. It’s important to remember to take care of yourself and make time for relaxation and enjoyment in your life. This could be as simple as taking a walk outside, reading a book (one that doesn’t have to do with UX Writing!), or spending time with friends and family. By prioritizing your own well-being, you’ll be better able to handle the demands of your job and enjoy the rewards of your work.
Need some inspiration? Here are my resolutions for 2023
In the young field of UX Writing, learning never ends. For this year, I made a promise to myself to dedicate some of my time to dive deeper into certain aspects I always wanted to know more about, including especially the relationship between a) SEO and UX Writing and b) AI and UX Writing. While the first topic is one I have come across a few times already, the latter is a current hot topic that I have not worked with yet.
Another thing that is on my list for 2023 is something I know many people struggle with: Sharing your work, your experiences, and your thoughts. I love engaging with my community (for example, on Instagam), but to be honest, I have a hard time overcoming my perfectionism and showing myself or my ideas. But life is too short to be hesitant, so I plan to be more outgoing here.
The third goal I set for myself for this year is finally managing to organize myself more effectively to become more productive and efficient with what I’m doing. I hope that this not only helps me to get more stuff done, but also to experience phases of recovery and relaxation more intentionally.
My last resolution is kind of related to this one. I plan to learn more about tools that can support me in my everyday life as a UX Writer: from Grammarly and ChatGPT to Readable, TeuxDeux, and even Canva — there are so many amazing tools that can help us do better and faster work as UX Writers, and so far, I haven’t even been close to integrating them in my daily writing practice.
What about you? Do you have your new years resolutions already set? If so, feel free to share in the comments! Maybe we can inspire each other.
