"To be honest, for many years, I was mostly reacting. Life was happening to me, rather than me shaping the life that I was living. I was making progress reactively and I was looking out for all kinds of opportunities. It was easy and quite straightforward - I was floating and jumping between projects and calls and making things work as I was going along."
"Years ago, my wonderful wife introduced one little annual ritual which changed that dynamic entirely. By the end of each year, we sit with nothing but paper and pencil and run a thorough retrospective of the past year - successes, mistakes, good moments, bad moments, things we loved, and things we wanted to change. We look back at our memories, projects, and events that stood out that year."
Run a retrospective for the past year, listing successes, mistakes, memorable projects, and desired changes. Use simple tools like paper and pencil to review personal growth, professional work, and social connections. Answer targeted questions: what was most rewarding, and what fears or concerns slowed progress. Move from reactive career drifting toward intentional planning by identifying where to go next. Use decision trees for designers to map possible paths and clarify trade-offs between roles and specialties. Apply a UX skills self-assessment matrix to benchmark competencies and guide focused learning. Embrace deliberate choices to reduce doubts and shape a purposeful 2026 career.
Read at Smashing Magazine
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