First, it was a computer small enough to fit into your pocket, then it was self-driving cars and AI, life as we know it keeps changing constantly at terrifying speeds. As we move from one industrial revolution to the next, the pace at which we adapt to these technologies also needs to speed up.
The same goes for the skills we need to develop to successfully navigate life. Whether it’s a successful career, a tranquil home life, or more time for family and friends, success looks different for everyone.
It comes in all colors, shapes, and sizes. This is probably why we’re constantly working on finding new skills to meet our goals in life and make us feel secure and content.
Here are top 10 life skills you need to get ahead in life.
1| Critical Thinking
Albert Einstein said, “Education isn’t the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
It doesn’t matter which university you went to or what your major was. The most important thing is to be able to think for yourself.
This is extremely significant during this time when the traditional concept of the workplace is changing. Even the very definition of ‘career’ is changing. So, we need to be able to sift through the information and analyze it to sort the trivial and inconsequential from the valuable.
2| Communication Skills
Thinking for yourself is great and all, but it’s not enough on its own. You also need to be able to communicate your ideas with others if you’re hoping to achieve anything in life through speech and written communication.
Nowadays, you can’t just be a good communicator in person. You need to excel at it online as well whether it’s via a video conference, text message, or e-mail.
3| Adaptability
Adaptability is “the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions.” Overall, human beings are highly adaptive, this is one of the reasons that humans have survived and evolved for millions of years. Being adaptable in your day-to-day life is critical to successfully navigating your life.
This includes making decisions based on current circumstances, facing challenges head on and letting go of all that which you cannot control.
4| Personal Management
Leading a successful life depends on effective action, and effective action depends on how adept you are at directing your attention where you need it the most. This requires a strong sense of discipline and commitment to help you follow through and stay on track.
To do that, you need to learn efficient productivity habits as well as how to stay organized and productive even when everything seems chaotic. You also need to be a confident decision-maker so that you can quickly assess a scene and respond accordingly.
5| Drive and Initiative
Initiative gives our lives purpose. It’s what drives us to pursue new hobbies and learn new skills. Otherwise, we’d still be living in the caveman era.
The problem is that sometimes people confuse drive and initiative with competing and comparing. Life isn’t a competition because everyone does things at their own pace. That’s why the only person you should ever compare yourself to is you.
6| Cultural Awareness
Nothing bad has ever come from having a deeper cultural understanding. Just the opposite in fact. According to researchers, cultural awareness can lead to enhanced collaboration, diverse conversations, and more positive interactions.
Having a variety of perspectives and input makes for a stronger, more successful community and workplace. It also leads to networking, which helps create a safe space for new ideas to be created and communicated.
7| Collaboration
Being culturally aware leads us to our next important life skill: collaboration. You probably noticed that we mentioned independent work as a necessary skill. But being able to plan and follow through on your own will never take the place of teamwork.
In this high-tech digital age, you can reach anyone at a moment’s notice no matter where they are in the world. We need to take advantage of this because it helps us learn from each other’s mistakes, lean on one another for support, and benefit from one another’s strengths.
8| Problem-Solving
Critical thinking has always been crucial to lead a successful life. And its importance continues to grow in these rapidly changing times we’re living in.
Finishing a Sudoku puzzle, solving a Rubik’s cube, coding an app, setting up a national database—the list keeps getting longer and longer. The better we get at problem-solving, the better we can improve our lives as a whole.
9| Creativity
Another Albert Einstein quote: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
And it’s not just Einstein. Many other great minds of our time knew the value of having an innovative, non-linear mindset.
Creative thinking is all about asking the right questions, brainstorming, and looking for innovative ways to solve problems.
And all the while without taking yourself too seriously. Once you make the mistake of stifling your creativity, you lose your motivation, and your productivity will plummet.
10| Soft Skills
People rarely mention soft skills even though they play a major role in how we navigate our lives. You may have heard them being referred to as emotional intelligence or people skills.
In the workplace, they include things like the ability to delegate tasks, look someone in the eye when talking to them, be organized, and have good time management skills. Even having a firm handshake falls under this category.
All of these features can help you build professional and personal relationships. They also help you advance your career because they go hand-in-hand with all the other skills on our list.
As for your personal life, your soft skills are what allow you to display empathy, be charismatic, or have a sense of humor. Being a good listener is another one that your, hopefully, your partner appreciates.
