You’ve probably (definitely) said to yourself at one point, “I have no clue what I’m doing with my life.” Even though there are always going to be moments where it’s appropriate to say that, it’s actually avoidable in most cases. Admittedly, life can be really tough. But learning even a couple life skills will make you say this phrase less often. It could also literally save you in the future. While it’s always awesome to learn other things like painting or playing an instrument, these skills should come first and should be mastered by everyone.
1. Prioritizing:
Choosing what is more important between two things sounds easy when said out loud, but we often find ourselves wasting time on things that can be put off for later. Knowing what needs to be done first can help to organize yourself and make your tasks clear to you.
At the very least, knowing how to do this makes it seem like you have your life together. After learning this, though, you’ll actually have everything together.
2. Time management:
Everyone struggles with this. No, not just students. Literally EVERYONE!!! It’s a skill that is one of the hardest to master, but it’s not impossible. Doing small things, like writing your tasks down, organizing what tasks you’ll do at a certain time, and/or prioritizing (see above) are just a couple ways to make life easier on yourself.
Once you learn this, you will no longer find yourself screaming internally at 1:30 in the morning about how you could’ve done this eight-page paper yesterday. You will find yourself asleep in your bed, dreaming about being the amazing, non-procrastinator you’ve always aspired to be.
3. Communicating with others:
People can be really scary to talk to. But in reality, most people aren’t even scary. The thing that keeps us from being good communicators is being scared of conversations. Learning how to communicate with others about anything is probably one awesome way of changing your life forever. Conversations (or the lack of them) can change lives in a bunch of crazy ways.
Knowing how to hold solid conversations could land you with awesome jobs, great friends, better relationships, and an improved lifestyle in general. Practice being a better communicator with each conversation you have, even if it’s just small talk with an acquaintance. After all, you do this on a daily basis.
4. Being able to cook at least 3 meals:
It’s a well-known fact that everyone needs food. It’s also well-known that food is amazing. When you know how to cook, you don’t simply learn how to feed yourself. You also learn how to feed others and impress them with your skill, save money, and eat in a fresher and healthier way. When you master multiple recipes, it makes life much better because you have options in what to eat and you don’t get bored with the one meal you know how to make.
5. Budgeting your finances and knowing how to file taxes:
You could choose to be bad at managing your money and constantly worrying about what you owe or how you’re going to pay off an expensive bill. Or you could be good at it, and not be as concerned with how you’re going to feed yourself this week. Money is necessary in order to live a comfortable life. Learning how to be good with money can save you from worrying about being evicted, feeding yourself, staying warm, and more things. Living a comfortable lifestyle is very much worth learning how to discipline yourself with money.
6. Negotiating/making compromises with people:
As the Rolling Stones famously sang, “You can’t always get what you want/but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.” It’s impossible to get your way all the time. Knowing how to make nice and compromising with other people can get you what is necessary and satisfy both parties. It doesn’t feel good to make others upset because you wanted something and didn’t care about it. Instead, learning to master this skill can save you from getting in trouble with others and make things fair.
7. General cleaning and organization:
No one enjoys living in a disgusting place with dirt all over the tables and grimy floors. It’s not sanitary, it’s really gross, and it can make you feel like you’re losing control of everything in life. Learning skills like cleaning your bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom, in addition to organizing your space, will make you feel accomplished and clear-minded in the end. Yes, it can be a pain to clean your toilet, but at least you know it’s not super gross anymore!
8. Basic navigation skills:
Getting lost in new places and exploring can be really fun sometimes. But of course, home is where the heart is. Also, it’s the only place in the world where you can feel free to roam around with a bowl of cereal at 2pm without your pants on. Being a master at navigating where you are can take you to amazing places all over the world, or even just to your own home. Knowing the types of transportation available to you, being able to read maps, and knowing the expectations of your location can make traveling much smoother and less stressful. Take the time to learn these navigation skills one day because you will be thankful when you know how to get yourself anywhere you want to.
9. Throwing a decent punch:
Sometimes, people can be jerks. Hopefully, you’ll never have to hurt anyone in order to defend yourself. It happens, though, which is why knowing how to throw a good punch can save you from a life threatening situation. Here’s a great set of instructions (#5)!
10. Adapting to a new environment:
It can be really hard to experience being in a new environment, especially when you’re in this place for an extended amount of time. Learning to get used quickly to new people, noises, smells, and places make you more comfortable and prepared for whatever this place throws at you. You’ll also be able to do more things and take advantage of the resources it has. New places can always inspire you to do better things and have a different perspective of the world.
11. Being able to teach yourself:
It can be really discouraging when you learn that people won’t always help you. We have probably all been in a situation where people have not been dependable, and it is up to you to save yourself from crashing and burning (ex. Being in a class where the professor is completely incompetent and having to learn all the material yourself). In whatever situation where this is the case, having the ability to teach yourself can save you from experiencing something devastating. Knowing your best learning style and how fast your pace is as a learner makes the whole process of teaching yourself an entire semester’s worth of information much easier.
12. Knowing how to calm yourself down and clear your head:
Everyone has days where he or she is so angry at everything, even hearing birds chirp can cause someone to flip a table over and swear incessantly at toddlers. Having control over your emotions, learning your capabilities when it comes to your anger, and moving past a stressful situation are some ways to clear your head and go through your day in a more civilized manner.
13. Being patient with others:
It can be really frustrating to deal with/listen to a person who is yelling and complaining about not having a waiter come to the table, even though it has only been ten minutes. Patience comes in different forms. Having a large capacity for patience with others can help you to be on better terms with other people, and people will view you as more peaceful. Many things in life are worth waiting for. Improving your patience can get you better things you wouldn’t have even expected.
14. Understanding your failures and forgiving yourself:
If you’re reading this, you are most likely a human and you have probably made at least one mistake. You have probably also beat yourself up when you made said mistake(s). Whether it’s something minor like forgetting to put something in the mail or a major one like failing a final, it is important to know how to forgive yourself for doing something wrong. If someone accuses you of something that you’ve done wrong, don’t constantly try to defend yourself and shut them off from what you’re saying. Listen to what they say, and try to understand their stance. You’ll feel at ease with yourself and you can move on from what you did.
15. Bouncing back from hardships:
To add to the list of relatable human experiences, everyone has and/or will struggle with something difficult in life. Since every person goes through this at least once, it’s crucial to know how to move past tough situations. A lot of the time, people don’t realize that their suffering is beyond their control and make vain attempts to fix everything. While it’s ok to try this, it’s really important to know when something can’t be solved or improved. The more important thing, however, is acknowledging this fact and trying to understand the good things in every situation. Even something as painful as losing a loved one can make you realize how much you care for them, and how special your relationship is to them. It’s a skill that can bring you back to a normal life while learning a lot along the way.
