There are a lot of skills you don’t need. You can be happy and successful without knowing how to rebuild a car’s engine, program a web application, or replace drywall. Sure, these are useful skills to have, but they aren’t absolutely necessary.
There are other skills, however, that can’t be avoided – skills that
tie into various aspects of everyday life, that are not only useful, but
totally indispensable. For instance, you can’t get far in today’s
world without being able to read or write. And today the ability use a
computer proficiently is simply assumed.
In this article we’re going to skip the super basic skills like
reading, driving, and using a computer, and discuss twelve slightly more
advanced skills that are woefully under-taught, and universally
applicable. Let’s take a look…
1. Prioritizing and time management. – If success
depends on effective action, effective action depends on the ability to
focus your attention where it is needed most, when it is needed most.
This is the ability to separate the important from the unimportant,
which is a much needed skill in all walks of life, especially where
there are ever increasing opportunities and distractions.
- 10 Time Management Tips that Work
- Time management and prioritization lessons from MindTools
- 12 Things Highly Productive People Do Differently
- Book: Getting Things Done
2. Keeping a clean, organized space. – Successful
people have systems in place to help them find what they need when they
need it – they can quickly locate the information required to support
their activities. When you’re disorganized, that extra time spent
looking for a phone number, email address or a certain file forces you
to drop your focus. Once it’s gone, it takes a while to get it back –
and that’s where the real time is wasted. Keeping both your living and
working spaces organized is crucial.
- Decluttering Articles by Unclutterer
- Top 12 Organizing Tips and Resources
- Four Daily Routines: How I keep my house “clean enough”
- Book: The Joy of Less
3. Critical thinking and information analysis. – We are living in the information age where, on a daily basis, we are constantly exposed to an ever
growing and rapidly changing pool of information. Being able to
evaluate this information, sort the valuable from the trivial, analyze
its relevance and meaning, and relate it to other information is a
priceless skill with universal applicability.
- Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking
- A Simple Guide to Critical Thinking
- 10 Critical Thinking Traps and Tips
- Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow
4. Logical, informed decision making. – Decision
making is simply knowing what to do based on the information available.
Being able to respond quickly and effectively with the information you
have in your head is essential to accomplishing anything.
- Don’t Overthink It: 5 Tips for Daily Decision-Making
- 13 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Decision-Making
- Geek to Live: Four ways to make a big decision
- Book: Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions
5. Using Google proficiently for online research. –
You don’t have to know everything, but you should be able to quickly
and painlessly find out what you need to know. Google is a gateway to
nearly infinite knowledge; it has indexed websites containing
information on just about everything and everyone. If you’re having
trouble finding something using Google, it’s time to learn a few new
tricks.
6. Basic accounting and money management. – It’s a
simple fact that our modern society is governed by the constant exchange
of money. Money allows you to maintain a roof over your head and put
food on the table each night. Knowing how to properly manage your
money – tracking and recording your expenses and income, saving and
investing – is not only an important skill for thriving, it’s an
important skill that helps you survive.
- 10 Steps to Making a Financial Budget
- How To Make a Budget that Works
- Quick MBA - Financial Accounting 101
- Book: The Total Money Makeover
7. Effective communication and negotiating. – Give
the people in your life the information they need rather than expecting
them to know the unknowable. Don’t try to read other people’s minds,
and don’t make other people try to read yours. Most problems, big and
small, within a family, friendship, or business relationship, start with
bad communication. Speak honestly, and then give others a voice and
show them that their words matter. And remember that compromise and
effective negotiating are vital parts of effective communication.
- 9 Steps to Better Communication Today
- Win-Win Negotiation - Finding a fair compromise.
- Active Listening - Hear what people are really saying.
- Book: People Skills
8. Relaxation. – Stress leads to poor health, poor
decision-making, poor thinking, and poor socialization. So be
attentive to your stress level and take short breaks when you need to.
Slow down. Breathe. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and
move forward with clarity and purpose. When you’re at your busiest, a
brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity.
These short breaks will help you regain your sanity, and allow you to
reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with
your goals.
- 10 Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress On-the-Spot
- Finding the Relaxation Exercises that Work for You
- 37 Stress Management Tips
- Book: Wherever You Go, There You Are
9. Proficient writing and note-taking. – The
written word isn’t going away; it is used in every walk of life.
Learning to write proficiently so that others can understand you is
critical. Also, using your writing skills to take useful notes is one
of the most productive things you can do, regardless of the task at
hand. Writing things down – taking notes – helps us remember what we
hear, see, or read when we’re learning something new, or trying to
remember something specific.
- 34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer
- English Grammar 101
- Top 5 Note-Taking Tips
- Book: On Writing Well
10. Relationship networking. – In a world dominated
by constant innovation and information exchange, relationship
networking creates the channel through which ideas and information flow,
and in which new ideas are shared, discussed and perfected. A large
relationship network, carefully cultivated, can be leveraged to meet the
right people, find jobs, build businesses, learn about new trends,
spread ideas, etc.
- How to Network: 12 Tips for Shy People
- Steps to Easy Relationship Building
- Networking: Start Building Real Relationships
- Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People
11. Positivity. – Research shows that although we
think that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel
because of the way we act. A great attitude always leads to great
experiences. People who think optimistically see the world as a place
packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times. Be
positive, smile, and make it count. Pretend today is going to be
great. Do so, and it will be.
- How to Be Optimistic - Focus on the Positive
- 10 Ways Happy People Choose Happiness
- Seven Simple Ways to Be More Positive
- Book: The How of Happiness
12. Self-discipline. – Self-discipline is a skill.
It is the ability to focus and overcome distractions. It involves
acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the
moment. It often requires sacrificing the pleasure and thrill for what
matters most in life. Therefore it is self-discipline that drives you
to succeed in the long-term.
- How to Build Self-Discipline
- Self-Discipline Explained and Explored
- 12 Things Successful People Do Differently
- Book: Unleash the Warrior Within
What did we miss? What are some other useful life skills that are
universally applicable? Leave a comment below and let everyone know.
