An End to Progress? Nah.
Recently, I came across a post that displayed a sequence of words vertically stacked on top of each other. Each element in the sequence was the word “PROGRESS” all the way down until it read “The End”. I thought it was a pretty thought provoking post, and I took a screenshot of it to think about later.
After going about my day for a bit, I had a thought hit me about that picture. I realized I completely disagreed with the notion of the entire piece — that there is an end to progress. I decided to pull out my phone and recreate the image in a way that made more sense to me. It way the same concept, except I had scribbled out the words “The End”. It has become a nifty wallpaper for me to keep on my phone. I find it to be quite motivational as I go about my day.
So why do I feel this way about the concept of progress? Because more and more I am recognizing the need to improve and change in all areas of my life. Each iteration of the content I design, versions of myself, and my relationships with others have had room for me to improve. I am pretty sure that nothing in my life is completely perfect. (Of course, that sentence alone prompts us to philosophize about the definition of perfection itself. That’s a different beast to tackle another day.)
For example, with user experience design, a designer must complete user research. They figure out problems they must solve, and they generate designs that address the needs of the user base. From there, they test the design to see if the users can navigate and enjoy it. At this point, they identify further problems within the design that can improve. The designer releases the product, and it is a huge hit amongst the user base. Problem solved, right?
Wrong. In some cases, a competitor in the industry finds a more efficient and popular way to solve the same problem the designer solved. Or in other cases, the users are becoming bored with the product. They want updates that keep up with current design trends or emerging technologies. These situations create further areas of improvement and further work for the UX designers. In a way, this aspect of the industry is both frustrating and invigorating. On one hand, the UX designer watches as their hard work becomes irrelevant in the space of a few months or years. On the other, they can see their work as the foundation for further exciting ideas to explore.
The same principles seem to apply in my personal and educational life. Relationships seem to need constant maintenance. Stagnant relationships in my life actually feel like they are deteriorating. If I am not reaching out to friends or family, I forget about the intimate details of their lives. I can become more and more detached. (This also leads me to believe that just as people can fall in love, they can fall out of it. Once again, another beast to philosophize about on another day.) My point? Constant progress is necessary here.
With education, there is always something more to learn. The most intriguing part about education is that the more you know, the more you realize you do not know. This feels as invigorating as it feels intimidating. Particularly in the tech industry, it’s fascinating to understand other areas of work a bit better each day. For example, I have been trying to learn a bit of full stack coding each day as I work on my UX design. It feels good to know I am a smarter version of myself with each coming day. Something about that concept is so fulfilling.
The point I am trying to convey is that progress is a necessity in a fulfilling and healthy career or life. This way of thinking has become a priority for me. I plan on treating each day of my life as an opportunity to progress further. Another quote I read recently went something like the following: “Which would you prefer? The pain of stagnation and mediocrity, or the pain of improvement?” I find myself siding with the latter camp.
