Sustainable Growth in UX Writing: The Dos and Don’ts

Learning is a core part of working in UX Writing. Whether you’re just starting out or are already part of a product team: I promise, you will keep encountering new tools, new stakeholders, new collaboration models, or even new products or industry standards. So we could say: The challenge is not whether we need to learn – it’s how to learn in a way that fits our actual resources, which is especially tough in a world where there are emerging trends in our field popping up every other week. And that’s exactly where sustainable growth comes into play.

What does sustainable growth mean?

But first things first: What do we mean by “sustainable growth”, especially in the context of on-the-job learning? Well, sustainable growth means continuing to develop in a way that aligns with your role, your interests, and your long-term goals. It acknowledges that learning isn’t a separate phase but something that becomes part of your everyday workday.

And therefore it also means investing and managing your personal resources, including your money, time, energy, and focus – with intention and care. If we do that, we can make learning (and with it, upskilling and career advancement) an integral part of our work – in the long run.

But what does that mean in practice? Let’s look at some dos and don’ts.

Sustainable Growth: The Dos 

Map your resources, honestly

Let’s start right at the beginning. Before diving into the next course or side project, take stock: How much time and money are you truly able and willing to invest, right now? Sustainable growth starts with understanding your capacity and making plans that fit within it.

My personal experience: When you set specific learning goals, you might feel bad for not reaching them or for missing your milestones – at least I do on a regular basis. However, if you plan to integrate learning with your everyday work day, you will experience days on which you can’t focus. That’s just how it is. Knowing that it’s okay to take small steps just to stick to your overall mission will help – trust me.

One for your future, one for your heart

Let’s move on to choosing what to learn. And here, a dual strategy can make sense: Definitely monitor your skills (and lack thereof), see where you feel confident and comfortable (and where you don’t), and see where you want to fill knowledge and skill gaps strategically, e.g., to level up in your career. Observing yourself and asking for feedback can be helpful here. However, I also recommend following your curiosity when it comes to choosing your learning topics. What sounds cool to you, where do you want to dive in deeper? A good mixture of both will help you advance in your career and find fulfillment in your craft.

My personal experience: For quite some time, I saw learning on the job too strictly, especially once I was aware of the fact that my resources are limited. I only wanted to invest time and money in learning skills that would very likely benefit my career. Today, I know that exploring topics in our field extensively just because I want to is a good enough reason to invest a part of my money and time in it. The results? I’m really well-educated in exciting niche topics that help my work in ways I didn’t see before exploring it, and also, it helps me stay fascinated with our field.

Find the right resources for your level, goals, and values

Another important aspect of sustainably successful learning habits is choosing the right resources. Not every resource is a good fit for where you are and where you want to go. Some will feel too simple, some will feel too advanced – and some just won’t match your learning style. Definitely look into different resources and observe how good you get along with them. Is it easier for you to learn with books? Video tutorials? Or just learning by doing?

My personal experience: When I entered the field of UX Writing and started learning more and more about this discipline, I got my hands on every book that had remotely to do with UX Writing or Copywriting. Somehow, purchasing these books, putting them on my desk, felt like an accomplishment already. Also, books were cheap, compared to courses. However, once I started looking into them, I soon realized two things: First, they didn’t offer me any new insights, nothing I hadn’t figured out myself already. And second, learning UX Writing with the help of a book just didn’t work for me. I needed practical guidance, not written words – I felt like it wouldn’t teach me the actual craft of writing. However, later on, when I already had a lot of experience with UX Writing and needed to learn about the business side of UX, for example, books were a great choice. I’d always recommend taking enough time to evaluate the resources you plan to learn with. This will boost your learning success later on!

Keep going – no matter how small the steps!

Although it’s nice to dig your head deep into a book or learn several lessons of an online course in full peace, the amount of time you invest per day is not what counts. Consistency is. Making learning a habit and establishing routines are. If you can’t read a full chapter of a book today, make it 10 pages. If you can’t make 10 pages, make it 5. Keeping up the habit of learning, and keeping the connection to your learning material is more essential to making your efforts effective.

My personal experience: I love learning, especially in UX Writing. If I could choose, I would spend at least HALF of my waking hours reading and learning new things, so I’ve always been a liiiiiiittle too optimistic about planning my next learning goals (a book a week? No problem). So for me, taking an honest inventory of how much time I can really spend was crucial, and I’ve only learned to be more realistic about my time budget by failing often.

Document your learnings

Probably my most essential piece of advice! Capture what you learn and what learning feels like. Whether you struggle with certain topics or resources. That might mean keeping a short learning journal or filling a Notion page with insights – whatever works for you! But writing things down will tremendously help you with reflecting on your learnings, achievements, and setbacks.

My personal experience: Again, make it fun! Buy a pretty journal if you like handwritten notes or, if you’re more for a digital version, create a Miro board that reflects your style and taste. Use emojis, go for a clean minimalistic look, if that’s what you like. You’re more likely to stick with your learning journey if you're enthusiastic about the details.

Sustainable Growth: The Don’ts 

So that’s it for all the things that will foster sustainable growth and learning success. But achieving long-term success is not only about doing the right things, it’s also about avoiding the wrong ones. So let’s talk about those as well.

Don’t wait for external permission

You don’t need a new title, a performance review, or someone else’s approval to grow. If you feel the need to learn or even just excitement or curiosity about a certain topic, that’s enough reason to start.

Don’t fall for the sunk cost fallacy

Just because you’ve spent time or money on a course or book doesn’t mean you have to keep going if it’s no longer helpful. Letting go is part of learning, too.

Don’t chase the hype

It’s tempting to jump on every new tool, framework, or trend, especially in UX. But sustainable growth means learning what’s useful – not just what’s current.

Don’t cling to a plan that isn’t working

If your learning plan consistently drains your energy or doesn’t yield real insights, change it. You’re not locked in. Learning strategies should evolve with you.

Don’t rely on motivation or discipline alone

They’re not consistent. What helps is designing routines that support your energy and mental load. Learning UX Writing becomes easier when it’s built into your rhythm—not left to willpower.

Don’t expect AI to teach you everything

AI can support your learning, for example, by discussing your learnings, asking you questions to reflect on your insights, and much more. But can ChatGPT replace a proper course or a good book created by a credible expert? We’re still far from that, so use AI as a supplement, not your sole teacher.

Final thoughts

Achieving sustainable growth through intentional learning isn’t about doing everything perfectly, or being overly strict. It actually is about testing things, failing, trying something new, and having fun. The interplay of these factors is what makes or breaks your learning success over time – even when life gets busy, even when motivation drops or you can’t focus. What matters most is that your learning fits you: your context, your capacity, your curiosity, your preferences. So be honest with yourself, stay flexible, and most of all, don’t forget to enjoy the ride.