With limited time in a day, there are plenty of ways to make good use of it. This list of basic skills serves as a helpful starting guide for you to survive and thrive in life.

Awareness

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses provide a starting point for progress. When you properly understand how to leverage your abilities and motivations, you can go much further in life.

Being aware of your limitations is a key to maintaining your mental and physical health. It is important to surround yourself with wise counsel to act as your guardrails in life. Emotional intelligence requires one to have good observation and awareness in situations, and is best when we start developing this skill before adulthood.

If you are unsure about your strengths and weaknesses, ask those around you for insight. Here are some questions for further reflection:

• What motivates me?
• What keeps me focused?
• How do I approach a challenge?
• How do I prefer working or communicating with others?

Healthy Habits

It takes time to develop healthy habits such as punctuality, organization, and exercise into your life. The most successful method is taking small steps towards your goal. It’s tempting to take shortcuts to catch up on goals but think about how many people vow to exercise in the new year only to go back to their old habits after a few months. Building small habits will not make a difference right away, but will compound into future success. I recommend reading the book of Proverbs for wisdom and advice.

Success takes intentionality. By making time for what is important to you, your life should reflect your goals and priorities. Family is important to me, but I can easily neglect spending time with them if I don’t schedule my calendar or set reminders to do so. I encourage you to form a habit of self-reflection and prioritize personal growth as that will affect all aspects of your life.

Self-learning is a foundational skill that allows you to adapt in any challenge.

Before college, I was expected to regurgitate the information I received. During college and after, I was expected to be creative and self-led in my studies. This disconnect in education didn’t provide me with the skills I needed in the real world, but I succeeded in graduating and getting a job by embracing self-learning.

Here are some small steps you can start practicing right away:

• Stretching / light exercise in the morning
• Learn one new thing
• Talk to a friend once per day
• Opting for a healthy snack instead of junk food
• Aim to be 15 minutes early to your appointments

Communication

How you say something is just as important as what you say.

If you have a great idea, but are unable to communicate that idea, you cannot get the support you need. Good communication is a way to exchange information that leads both parties to better understand each other. Here are some of the basic categories to explore:

• Active listening 
• How to speak
• Asking good questions
• Body language
• Best practices on different channels (eg. via text or calling)

Here are some starter videos to develop better communication.

Relationships

We were made for community. To be successful and promote a healthy environment, we should know how to act respectfully and develop healthy relationships with others – not to simply talk to people, but to develop meaningful connections.

Start by learning how to be a good friend. You show respect to others not only with your words but with your actions. An example of disrespect would be canceling an existing commitment for a non-emergency. If you made lunch plans with your friend but canceled to attend a concert instead, your action shows you don’t value your friend’s schedule and are unreliable to make plans with.

Understanding that your time and ability to maintain relationships are limited, you need to be selective about the people you surround yourself with. Our interactions shape the way we feel, and perceive the world. You also have an influence on others, so be careful how you speak and behave; you could unknowingly be someone’s role model.

Money Management

Just like our time and talents, money is a resource that can do a lot of good if used wisely. It takes intentionality to build and maintain financial health.

• Financial terms – Investopedia and Fidelity
• How to view money
• Principles on making money
• Principles on spending money
• How to manage money

Cooking

Even though there is no shortage of takeout or food delivery options (at least in the city), it isn’t healthy for you or your wallet to live solely on takeout. Cooking is a great way to grow your understanding and appreciation of food. Developing culinary skills will help you know what it takes to plan and prepare a dish. We all need to eat, and that is a great opportunity to use cooking as a way to care for others, especially for those with dietary restrictions.

As with all topics, I recommend learning the concepts first. I enjoyed this book on food and cooking concepts that is easy enough for kids to understand.

Here is a breakdown of cooking skills to master:

• Food safety
• How to clean and cut food
• Cooking methods
• How to use kitchen equipment
• Reading and revising recipes

Computer Skills

Start by learning what a computer is before diving into specific skills.

• Typing
• Communications
• Managing documents
• Online research

Business Skills

In addition to the skills already listed, the following will set you up for success in the professional world.

• Teamwork
• Planning
• Time and project management
• Public speaking
• Writing
• Addressing conflicts