Skills for life

If you had to identify important life skills, what would they be? Would you start with things you need to be technically proficient at, that you can be taught in a school or institution, or would you tend towards inter-personal skills? What are the hardest or most important skills to learn? What skills do you value most in others?

Tenacity and Time Management

Winston Churchill was a real fan of perseverance and tenacity – one of his favourite sayings was that one should “never, ever, ever give up.” There is little which takes the place of getting stuck in and seeing a task through – no matter how talented you are; if you fail to finish a task, the world will never see how great it could have been.

Learning tenacity is a discipline, and one we should teach children from an early age – seeing a task through to completion is a crucial life skill, whether you aspire to lead the world or fit in comfortably with the pack.

The ability to manage your time effectively is also important – procrastinators seldom shine. Find a method which works for you – some people like to do a small amount of a number of tasks every day – others prefer to focus on one thing at a time. Planning and accurate estimation of what you can achieve is key. Whichever makes you the most efficient is fine.

Empathy and Kindness

No-one cares what you know, until they know you care. The ability to reach other people’s emotions or level of comfort is a great skill to have and kindness is never wasted. Those who are highly empathetic are often great leaders – they have the ability to motivate and draw people together, to work for a common goal.

Emotional intelligence is highly sought-after in business and personal relationships. Practise seeing things from the point of view of others – that is not to say you have to change yourself and your approach, but the ability to see both sides of an issue makes for better understanding and less conflict.

Practising kindness and empathy should be done, regardless of how others are treating you – never compromise your own behaviour for anyone else.

Communication

The ability to communicate clearly, confidently and constructively is a key life skill, in all aspects of your life. You should be able to get your point across without making others feel small. You should be able to ask for help when you need it without feeling incompetent. You should be able to identify your own strengths and weaknesses clearly when asked.

If communication is a challenge for you, try and seek help. You can learn skills associated with public speaking, personal relationships and self image.

Part of good communication is learning to listen effectively too – try and remove your own prejudices or the tendency to jump to conclusions. Listen calmly and patiently, and ask for clarification if you are not certain what point someone is trying to make. Everyone wants to feel heard.

Self Care

If you are overtired, stressed or badly nourished, you won’t function at your best. Learn what makes you feel healthy and productive – find an exercise, sleep and stress management regime that works for you and stick to it. It is a long term investment that you will never regret.

Sticking to your Knitting

In workplaces and families, there are always mini-dramas taking place. If they are nothing to do with you, stay out of them. If you play your part in a workplace in good faith, effectively, without getting drawn into petty troubles, you will have learned a valuable life skill.

Consciously direct your thinking and actions towards things which are within your control, or that you can make a positive difference with. The rest is just noise.