Life skills – Life Skills Everyone Needs to Know
The skills you require to get the most out of life are referred to as “life skills.”
A life skill is any ability that you can apply in your daily life. Most individuals find that being able to tie their shoes, swim, drive a car, and use a computer are useful life skills. The phrase “life skills” often refers to any of the abilities required to successfully navigate life’s challenges.
Therefore, it should be obvious that each person will likely have a unique list of the abilities they believe are most important in life and those that they believe are not required.
The majority of us are aware that we should always be ready for anything. However, the truth is that we occasionally feel dreadfully unprepared to handle all the curveballs life throws our way. Let’s face it, being an adult can be rather challenging at times! And on occasion, we become so preoccupied with helping our kids develop their own life skills that we neglect to ensure that we are also developing the life skills we need for our family.
We all require a foundational knowledge of housekeeping, from simple washing to making your bed. This includes everybody!
Keeping a clean home is a life skill that benefits both sexes, from college students to grandparents: it keeps your family healthy, keeps you organized and able to find what you need, and saves you money so you can continue living the Good Life. Try our Beginner’s Guide to Cleaning if you don’t know where to begin. Try making a cleaning routine or starting fast cleaning if you need assistance with maintenance.
2. Domestic duties
We’re not all accomplished chefs. Freezer recipes that require little work are my favorite.
They enable me to provide my family with nutritious dinners while freeing me up from the “chore” of cooking. Have a few simple recipes in your repertoire that you feel comfortable preparing if you don’t enjoy cooking. Even if it’s only macaroni and cheese, knowing how to cook and consume a meal will come in handy when your favorite takeout place is closed on a holiday, you don’t have time to get to the store, or there is a pandemic over the world.
3. How to Clear a Clogged Sink or Toilet
A trend in the blogosphere claims that everyone should be a proficient seamstress who can create clothing for their families. I don’t suit this description.
I do, however, adore doing crafts, and every once in a while, I’m prepared to pull out my sewing machine for a simple, enjoyable project. Lacking a machine? It only takes a few seconds to learn how to repair a hem or sew on a button by hand, two simple skills that can help you prolong the life of your clothing. It doesn’t need to be flawless!
4. Use of Calendar and Schedule
As we all know, doing your own home repairs may save you a ton of money. It’s not necessary to hire a professional plumber or electrician, but it does benefit your budget when you can avoid spending money every time a small domestic issue arises.
For assistance with your upcoming home repair, classes and workshops are offered by Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other home improvement retailers. Additionally, there’s something quite fulfilling about repairing a leaking faucet or re-caulking a shower on your own!
5. Stitching
If you’ve ever clogged a toilet at a party or entered a bathroom that was overflowing after someone flushed a washcloth (or their sister’s clothing) down the toilet, you’ll be glad you know how to use a plunger. Yes, it’s the “life skill” that no one wants to have.
When in doubt, use the tried-and-true plunger. There are a surprising amount of tips and YouTube videos on how to inventively unclog a toilet.
Kitchen appliances can be enigmatic and are occasionally not given much attention, from knowing how to thoroughly clean your fridge and preserve its efficiency to comprehending how to actually use all the options on your bread maker. If there is an appliance in your kitchen that you don’t use or that you find difficult to use, consider whether it is worth your time to spend 10 minutes learning how to use it properly or whether it is simply taking up space.
The settings on your food processor or countertop grill can help you avoid the need for a lot of counter clutter. Surprisingly many gadgets are one-trick ponies that take up space.
The core of time management—a life skill in and of itself—is knowing how to use a clock and a calendar. A calendar makes life easier and facilitates daily task completion. Even though you don’t have to live and die by your calendar, learning how to set aside time for tasks and important occasions will greatly simplify your life.
8. Fundamental First Aid
Having a fundamental grasp of sentence structure and written expression can help you get far in life, but I’m not arguing that everyone needs to be able to blog or write a masterpiece at the drop of a hat. Others believe that writing is the only way they can fully convey their inner ideas. Some people HATE writing with the fire of a thousand suns. If you attended the previous institution, think about enrolling in an online writing course or taking a basic creative writing class to refresh your memory.
Speaking, especially in front of people, can make some of us hide in the corner, similar to how writing can, while others enjoy it like fish in water. Although I dislike public speaking, everyone may benefit from learning certain useful skills, such as remembering to breathe, being organized, connecting with your objective, and clearly communicating it to your audience. If you have the courage to do so, sign up for a speaking engagement, a sermon at church, or the open forum at your PTO meeting. You’ll get better the more you practice.
Writing and speaking both falls under the umbrella of communication, which is an essential life skill.
Since no one can survive in this world alone, developing your interpersonal communication skills will enable you to progress in life. It involves expressing your needs and wants while also being aware of and responding to the needs and wants of others. You can learn, develop, and get stronger by talking to your partner, kids, and friends. We build relationships and friendships through communication, thus being effective at it will help you interact with people successfully.
11. The Eleventh Technology
Okay, so I still can’t always “un-tap the full capability” of my phone, but having a fundamental understanding of computers is essential in today’s world.
You should be able to utilize email and the internet to conduct simple searches at the very least. Technology may be an effective and practical instrument that genuinely makes your life easier. So let go of the worry that you’ll accidentally click something that you can’t undo or “break” anything. It is worthwhile.
12. How to Back Up Files
I hope you haven’t had to learn this lesson the hard way since mistakes are blunders and they can’t be undone. We have all worked on something just to watch it crash or vanish, which causes panic. Save. Save your documents frequently. Get familiar with cloud or external hard drive backups for your PC and phone.
There is nothing more tragic than losing hours and hours of work because you neglected to back up your data. If you’re a blogger, writing your post somewhere other than your blog programs, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, where files are automatically saved every few minutes, can save you a lot of agony and aggravation if something goes wrong.
13. Safeguarding Passwords
Even while it might seem like a minor point, I hear “I just use the same password for everything” much too frequently. … DANGER! Keys are like passwords. Can you picture using the same key for your home, business, and vehicle, then duplicating it and hiding it in various locations throughout town?
That would be absurd! The equivalent would be to use the same, unprotected password across the board. To make things simpler, keep track of things, and safeguard your data, try using a password management program.
14. Research Techniques (Using Something Other than Google and Wikipedia)
Nowadays, practically everything may be solved by searching online, but everyone should be aware that simple search results frequently do not come from scholarly (or even credible) sources. Anyone is welcome to provide their own “spin” on the content on Wikipedia, an open-source platform. Despite its value, WebMD doesn’t cover all medical topics. When you need more in-depth knowledge, understand how to conduct real research rather than merely Googling it.
Survival Knowledge
15. How to Protect Yourself
The desire to be safe and to keep out of dangerous circumstances is a normal human impulse, but we frequently encounter people who defy this logic in the news and in their daily lives. Driving home after the third glass of wine or taking a nighttime stroll through an unfamiliar neighborhood are both examples of this. Without implying that you shouldn’t take chances, you should learn to be cautious in all circumstances, whether that means calling a friend, being aware of your surroundings, or simply saying no.
16. Prepare for emergencies
Would you know what to do if a crisis like a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or a worldwide pandemic like COVID-19 struck? What if you got into an accident or your house caught fire? Although emergency preparedness might occasionally seem severe or frightening, having fundamental emergency skills and understanding what to do in case of an emergency can provide you peace of mind and protect you and your family from harm. And it’s definitely not too late to do any of these things right now!
17. Tips for Writing
Do you know what to do in the event that someone has a shattered bone or a serious cut? Do you recognize the symptoms of a concussion, heart attack, or stroke?
As mothers, we frequently have to juggle a variety of responsibilities, but pulling out the doctor’s bag can be one of our most important ones. If you think your knowledge of first aid is rusty, pick up a basic first aid book. Emergency circumstances often cause panic, but if you are knowledgeable about first aid, you may rely on your instincts and your expertise to remain calm and provide treatment.
18. How to Manage Without Electricity Power
The idea of going without electricity can be a little intimidating and frightening, similar to emergency preparedness. Who of us goes camping? (Or camping in the backyard?)
The benefits of being able to read an old-fashioned map are instantly realized by anyone who has attempted to find their way around a subway system or spent time in a remote place with patchy data connectivity. Refresh your knowledge of maps and develop the ability to locate yourself at all times. It’s a secure method that might one day aid in locating your vehicle in that mall parking garage. Kids who strongly rely on that GPS map would benefit greatly from learning this important life lesson.
19. Understanding Maps
Since almost all smartphones now come with GPS, I am aware that reading maps is a talent that is quickly becoming outdated. However, map reading is essential to learn, even if it’s just so you can get a rudimentary concept of geography and route yourself properly. This is in addition to the need to learn this ability for the odd digital detox. The benefits of being able to read an old-fashioned map are instantly realized by anyone who has attempted to find their way around a subway system or spent time in a remote place with patchy data connectivity. Refresh your knowledge of maps and develop the ability to locate yourself at all times. It’s a secure procedure that can possibly assist you in locating your vehicle in that mall parking garage.
20. Basic Auto Repair – How to Change a Flat Tire
There are many reasons not to learn how to change a tire, including the fact that it is not pleasant, that you have access to AAA or another form of roadside assistance, or that you may not own a car and rely on public transportation. All of that is fantastic, and if it fits your lifestyle, by all means, move on to the following life skill. But even just to avoid being taken advantage of at the repair shop, if you own a car, you need to be aware of basic maintenance. Refresh your knowledge at DMV.org. Depending on where you were raised, pumping your own gas may sound ridiculous or may actually be difficult.
You might be startled to learn that there aren’t any full-service stations in other states if you’re from New Jersey or Oregon. Refresh your knowledge of fundamental driving techniques to help you feel at ease while operating a vehicle.
21. Writing a Resume and Cover Letter
Understanding how to write a basic CV and cover letter is an essential life skill, regardless of whether you work from home or are a full-time homemaker—especially if you find yourself in need of employment. Taking on part-time work can enable you to support your family or fill a gap when necessary. You can get a job by having a creative, well-written résumé and cover letter. one that has been thoroughly vetted and is highly recommended.
Numerous employment agencies, educational institutions, and community learning centers provide resume classes, and many have professionals who are willing to review your resume and offer advice.
Skills in Money Management
22. Budgeting
Your life skills must include the capacity for financial responsibility and budgeting. Understanding your budget is the first step to reaching financial peace and security, regardless of how experienced you are at managing your finances or how adept you are at clipping coupons and saving money. We can start learning it at a very young age, and we should continue to develop it as we become older. Start by freezing your expenditure or use our resources for Budget 101.
23. How to Avoid/Eliminate Debt
We frequently discuss achieving financial stability and getting out of debt. Being debt-free is a freedom unlike any other, but getting there requires a lot of effort. There is no doubt that you can learn how to live within your means. Managing a plan to pay off your debt quickly and effectively while controlling your expenditure is how you learn to slay your debt. Because it’s so difficult, we call it a war and refer to it as slaying, tackling, and battling. The amazing thing is that you can win the battle against debt with a little practice.
24. How to Make a Big Purchase
You might be getting ready to purchase a house, a car, or even just your first washing machine.
Whatever it is, you should be able to compare costs, conduct research using Consumer Reports, and make informed decisions.
25. Keeping your bank account balanced
This one looks so ridiculous that I almost didn’t include it, but I gave it some thought. How many of us simply swipe our debit cards without recording anything? How many of us pay our bills online or set them up to be deducted automatically from our accounts, then kind of forget about them until they appear on our bank statements? One skill that will help you stay on top of your finances is the ability to keep track of your expenses. It immediately holds you responsible for your expenditures.
If you need to get a head start on budgeting, try committing to writing everything down for a month and observe if your spending habits change.
26. How to Use Coupons
You can save so much money with coupons! Yes, it requires expertise and can be intimidating at first, but getting started is quite simple. Most shops now provide electronic coupons that you may clip to your phone and scan when you go to the checkout. Ask each store what their rules are. You’ll master couponing with a little planning and practice (and you won’t often find yourself paying full price for anything).
27. How to Organize Financial Records
Many of us would prefer to throw away receipts and forget about them, but keeping organized and transparent financial records is essential to saving money, cutting back on spending, and being financially aware. This entails keeping track of your spending and creating a budget. You should always be able to swiftly determine where you stand financially, what you have in your accounts, what you owe, and your credit score. It will enable you to be sincere with yourself regarding your financial situation.
28. Investing and Money Management
Understanding how to invest your money correctly is a significant learning lesson once your debt is paid off.
Even those with ample resources struggle to build their money through investments. Short of winning the lottery, there are actually very few ways to “get rich quick,” and the majority of investment and money management endeavors require careful consideration, research, and completion with the help of a professional who is aware of your risk tolerance and willingness to help you make the best decisions.
29. How to Choose a Tax Expert
Everybody worries about getting a sizable tax refund and potential tax liabilities. Even though it may seem like a smart idea to save money by filing your taxes yourself, tax professionals can easily pay for themselves.
These people attend college to thoroughly research tax law. They can safeguard you and guide you in making the best decisions because they are up on the most recent IRS adjustments. Look for an Endorsed Local Provider to find a seasoned expert. By doing this, you can find some
30. Successful Negotiation
Negotiating, bartering, and other forms of learned life skills are something that many of us avoid (or avoid entirely). You can save money by learning how to trade, make an offer, and feel confident asking for a better bargain. It can also be a useful skill if you find yourself in a financially challenging scenario where negotiation is necessary and anticipated, such as when you’re asking for a raise. Don’t be afraid to strike a deal. Encourage yourself to keep practicing until you are at ease. Whether that entails asking, “Is that all you have to offer? You’ll learn to stop cringing anytime a negotiating chance arises by practicing negotiation skills, whether it’s over your next major purchase or arranging a trade with a friend.
31. Determine a Tip
Many workers in the service sector rely on gratuities to augment their pay and make a living. I believe that most of us want to leave substantial tips, especially for exceptional service, but occasionally it might be humiliating to do so when it takes longer than a few seconds to calculate. Additionally, there’s always the concern of how much to tip for services like the valet, the nail shop, or the restroom. Simple life skills like understanding tipping and learning how to calculate a tip can go a long way toward ensuring that you’re expressing the proper gratitude and acknowledgment for a job well done.
32. Understanding Your Calling, Purpose & Mission
Understanding your “calling,” your higher purpose, and what motivates you can help lay the groundwork for all you accomplish. Making a personal mission statement in addition to a family mission statement might assist you in maintaining focus on your most essential life goals.
33. What your priorities are and how to set priorities
Everybody has to understand how to set priorities so they may attend to the most critical (and frequently most difficult) jobs first. Doctors and nurses refer to it as triage in the ER. It involves having the ability to gauge a situation, determine what has to be dealt with first, and appraise it. It has been referred to as “Eating the Frog.”
Get the big, nasty, difficult things done first and under control so you can move on.
34. Being aware of your values
Understanding your values—and sticking to them without compromising—will help you make decisions in the same way that knowing your mission will. If you value honesty, you won’t be tempted to lie the next time you’re in a precarious situation since you’ll already be aware of how essential honesty is to you. If family connection and communication are your top values, you will utilize it to inform the choices you make for your children. Whenever you are faced with a difficult decision, keep your values in writing and refer to them.
35. How to Concentrate
There are two parts to this: first, learning how to concentrate on a task when you have a deadline or a task that needs to be completed; and second, learning how to concentrate on your direction, your actions, and your goals so that you are consistently in line with your values and remaining true to your personal mission.
We have family laughs (even making some goofy faces).
36. How to Have a Sense of Humor
Parents of tweens are aware of the developmental stage at which children begin to “get it.” They learn to be sardonic and, yes, hilarious as they suddenly become adept at picking up on tiny nuances in dialogue. Finding the comedy in any circumstance—and even the delight in the most trying ones—will get you far, even though some adults still struggle with this.
We may discover the silver lining in life and deal with grief, stress, and issues by using humor.
37. Basic Manners
The days of Emily Post and fearing criticism for not using the appropriate fork at the dinner table are long gone (unless your family is VERY formal). But in today’s culture, it’s still important and useful to understand fundamental manners. Being polite means giving thought to other people’s sentiments and taking care not to offend or, to be completely honest, disgust others. (Such as when you chew with your mouth shut. Please, clip your fingernails at home rather than on the bus.
38. Voter education/basic civics
Whatever your opinion of politics, it is an integral component of American culture and it is our civic obligation to vote. I realize that many of us detest discussing politics and don’t want to be “that guy” or “that gal” at dinner parties. Voting provides you with a voice and the ability to express your thoughts in favor of change if there is an issue you notice in the world or in your own area. If you don’t cast a ballot, you can’t complain about the people in power. Additionally, it’s wise to be familiar with the fundamental components of American governance as a citizen.
Skills in Relationships
39. Communication and Listening in a Partnership
Marriage and relationship communication, as well as communication with your children, are extremely distinct from ordinary communication abilities. It involves paying attention, exhibiting selflessness and empathy, and engaging in challenging dialogues without bias. Words matter because they have the power to be either beautiful or painful. They have the power to unite us or tear us apart by bringing us closer to God and each other. Learning to think before you speak and to listen more than you talk are communication skills that you may use in all of your close relationships and throughout your life.
40. Valuing and demonstrating respect
Every good marriage is built on mutual respect.
Although I don’t think any of us have the ideal union—I know I don’t!—respecting your partner and your differences can make your union stronger and more content. Understand that your partner is a human being with feelings, desires, and needs that, certainly, might not always align with your own. Your marriage will be strengthened if you recognize the fundamental motives and feelings that underlie everything and treat them as legitimate.
41. Value & Expression of Love
You might think that showing love involves showering your partner and children with presents. WRONG. Love is about spending time together, showing affection, communicating, and understanding. We are all aware of what Hollywood and Hallmark portray love to be, but we also understand that it encompasses much more.
The ability to love and be loved is genuinely a life skill that requires effort. After all, “Love is kind and patient.” It doesn’t boast, it doesn’t envy, and it isn’t arrogant. It does not defame others, is not conceited, is not quickly enraged, and does not keep a record of wrongdoings. Love rejoices with the truth rather than taking pleasure in wickedness. It always defends, always believes, always aspires, and always endures —1 Corinthians 13:4–8.
42. How to Take Both Praise and Criticism
It’s difficult to accept both positive feedback and constructive criticism. While we frequently fail to receive compliments with grace or minimize them because we feel ashamed, we are occasionally crushed by critiques (even when they are valid) and we take them personally.
You can benefit from knowing how to simply say “thank you” in response to compliments and how to treat criticism as feedback (evaluate it, then use it or ignore it).
Moms of today are certainly familiar with the social-emotional learning craze. You’ve probably read a lot about the value of social and emotional intelligence in the workplace if you work in business. Why is that so? Because individuals are discovering that emotional intelligence can be just as crucial as having a thorough understanding of the intricacies of physics or engineering.
Being sensitive to people, comprehending emotions, and learning to harness them in a constructive way can be a make-or-break life skill as the human population rises and we connect more globally. Fortunately, you can develop your emotional intelligence and use it all throughout your life.
44. Tips for Writing Thank You Notes
Although they are somewhat of a forgotten art, thank you cards genuinely make the recipient’s day. They’re a fantastic method to show others your admiration and gratitude. It’s easy to write a thank you note: just thank them for x, y, and z and explain how you’ll use their gift or benefit from their assistance. Then, draw a conclusion by restating what it means to you individually. It’s a skill that requires very little effort but has enormous value.
Skills in wellness and mental health
45. Problem-solving and critical thinking
If you have ever seen an “If this, then that” question on an exam or take a logic course in college, you are familiar with logic.
Unfortunately, not everyone possesses it. This life skill does involve prioritizing, but it also involves being able to analyze situations and make decisions. It’s about weighing potential consequences and developing your critical thinking abilities to deal with life’s tiny hiccups. Consider using a brain-training program like Fit Brains or Lumosity to enhance your problem-solving abilities. If you don’t use your problem-solving abilities, you lose them. We must therefore continue to learn for this reason.
46. Synthesizing
Synthesizing is the ability to put pieces of a whole together in a fresh and original way. It is a critical thinking skill. Your capacity to adjust and “roll with the punches” is improved by this acquired skill.
It is a component of each given situation’s examination and appraisal. Consider yourself a chef that can take various ingredients for a meal, separate them, and then combine them in a creative way. After graduating from high school or college, we frequently lose sight of this critical thinking ability, which is regarded as “higher-level thinking” in real life.
47. Self-Care: Sleep & Hygiene
No one can ever be perfect, but changing your perspective to see exercise and eating as self-care rather than punishment might help. Take baby steps, such as going for a walk or including vegetables in every meal, and expand from there.
48. Sleep and hygiene as self-care
We become so preoccupied with taking care of others that we neglect our own needs. This indicates that indeed, sleep and relaxation are necessary for our health. It also entails making time for yourself to take a shower, put on clean clothes, apply makeup, style your hair, or do anything else you need to do to feel your cleanest, most confident self.
It’s ironic that as mothers, despite constantly reminding our children to wash their hands, take a bath, and brush their teeth, we occasionally become so busy that we neglect our own needs. (Well, hopefully, we brush our teeth at least). Spend a day at the spa or spoil yourself with a special day at home. Learn to treat yourself occasionally. Catch up on all the things that can be neglected when we’re busy, such as having a pedicure, dyeing our hair, or plucking our eyebrows. You ought to be happy. To make the most of your “me time,” learn about healthy sleeping habits and how to streamline your beauty regimen.
