9 life skills every adult should master to overcome hardships
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”- George Bernard Shaw
To say that life is like a roller-coaster ride, would be totally undermining its potential to surprise (or even shock) us. In order to deal with life’s surprises, you need to be acquainted with some vital skills. But the tricky bit about these skills is that you won’t find them in the textbooks of school or college. These skills don’t exactly come with a user manual, and you’re just supposed to know them. So let’s elaborate further on these skills that help you to wiggle out of any adverse situation in life.
1. Having self-confidence
While some may be born with it, some need to make a serious effort to build it, but ultimately it’s THE most important skill to have if you want to sail through life. Self-confidence comes from within, and it’s almost as important for life, as oxygen. Having self-confidence means you can get past any tough situation and start afresh.
However, you need to understand that there’s a very fine line between self-confidence and over-confidence. So, remember not to impose your statements and perspectives on others simply because you feel confident about your opinion.
2. Mastering the art of communication
The process of communication is indelibly associated with the existence of human beings. So, naturally, it’s a skill in which you should invest your time and energy on. It emphasizes on how effectively you can connect with people all around the world and articulate your opinions and views in an acceptable manner. Having a great communication skill can get you through different phases of your life and career. In fact, having impressive communication skills also indicate that you possess a great command over the language you speak.
3. Maintaining a budget
The ability to become financially responsible and maintain a budget is an absolutely vital life skill that you need to be acquainted with. Knowing and managing your finances is the first stage to attaining financial prosperity and security. It doesn’t matter if you’ve just begun to get a grip on your finances or you’re already experienced in money matters. It’s a skill that needs to be acquired from a very tender age and something to build on for the rest of your life.
Now, the trick is to make sure that there’s more coming in than going out in terms of your monetary resources. For instance, you want to plan for any major expenses in the near future, like buying a house or renovating it. In this case, it’d be wise for you to set aside a chunk from your savings.
4. Learning time management
It’s not uncommon for people to undermine the significance of time management and waste an awful lot of time on insignificant activities. This doesn’t imply that every waking hour of your life should be spent on working or studying. The time spent indulging in activities like self-development, hobbies, and specifically with family is also crucial for your personal well-being. Basically, time management is all about making productive use of time.
It’s also important for you to spare some time to focus on your life goals. But sadly, not many people indulge in this activity. However, you can thank technology for coming up with innovative apps and programs which helps in managing your time effectively.
Managing time efficiently keeps us disciplined and goal-oriented, which are essential skills for building a successful career.
5. Effective negotiation skill
Bargains, negotiation, barters, these are all vital life skills that are worth paying attention to. Knowing how to trade, make an offer, and asking for a good deal can save a lot of money. It’s related to money management skills. It can also be a valuable skill in situations like asking for a raise, where negotiating is expected and essential.
So, never shy away from making a good bargain. And if you feel apprehensive, you can practice until you feel comfortable. Practicing negotiation will ultimately allow you to stop cringing whenever an opportunity for negotiation presents itself.
6. Keeping emotions in check
Emotions can sometimes get the better of us. It can affect our thinking and the ability to judge. But you should never let these cloud your mind. While dealing with an obstacle or a problem, in most cases, it’s always wise to use your logical thinking capacity. Letting emotions take control could make things worse when you are trying to find a solution.
So, always try to maintain a rational mindset and let your mind guide you in the right direction. “Use your mind to think clearly about what the problem is, and then determine the steps which are necessary to resolve the issue before taking the final action”, suggests Lisa Sawyer, an academic expert on assignment help from Essaygator.com. If you find yourself to be too emotionally charged, pause for a moment and allow yourself enough time to calm down.
7. The knowledge of basic first aid
Not many people are aware of the basic first-aid knowledge. For example, what to do if someone is injured, after recognizing the signs of a heart attack, a stroke or a concussion. Such skills are generally taught at middle school, but by the time we step into adulthood, the skill becomes a little a rusty.
So, consider reading up about the basic first-aid treatment at length. Also, it’s usual for people to panic in situations in which injuries and mishaps are concerned. But if you’re well versed in first aid treatment, it’ll be easier for you to depend on your instincts and knowledge.
8. The understanding of basic etiquette
Gone are the days of societal pressures when holding the fork and knife at the dinner table in an improper way would be frowned upon. However, knowing the basic etiquette is still quite relevant and vital even today. You need to be polite at the very least. And in this case, politeness is about being considerate of the feelings of others. For instance, chewing with your mouth closed and using a napkin while sneezing or coughing is a must. You need to make sure you don’t do something that offends or in fact grosses people out.
9. Being aware of the right to vote
Now, you may call yourself apolitical and refrain from indulging in any political discussions (trust me, that’s a rather common phenomenon among people). But, you can’t deny that politics is, in fact, an integral part of the fabric of our society – and it is our civic duty to vote.
If you notice that there’s something wrong in the world or in your own neighborhood, voting allows you the voice to express your opinions toward change. If you don’t use your civic right, it makes no sense sitting around and complaining about all that’s wrong with the world.
Additionally, it’s a good practice to have a clear knowledge of how the general systems of government are structured and how they function.
Wrapping it up,
When it comes to your life, it’s always good to keep adding new skills while you go through the grind. As wise men say, nothing ever goes waste, and learning these skills will only make the journey of your life worthwhile. Do you have something else that you want to see on this list? Let us know in the comments section.
This article was written by Denis Gibbs, a marketing expert who is working for a MNC for the past 6 years. She has been associated with Myassignmenthelp as an academic expert for a couple of years and provides dissertation help Apart from writing engaging blogs on marketing, tech and education trends, she likes hiking and surfing when not wooing her international clients with amazing marketing advice.
