In theory, every human being should be prepared, in one way or the other, for anything. However, in reality, sometimes most people tend to feel woefully unequipped when it comes to all the ups and downs that come their way in the course of their lives. Being unable to effectively handle all the curve-balls that life may throw at you is not something to be ashamed of – in fact, it is a valuable learning experience that will certainly help you wade off similar obstacles in the future.
For a significant period of life, most people attend school and learn how to read and write. Later, we are taught how to speak, math and even how to play. In general, we spend a considerable amount of time equipping ourselves with skills that are meant to make us adequate human beings for the society. However, as most of us have come to acknowledge, learning never ends after we are done with school. A good number of people proceed to learn more specialized skills which are mostly meant to build fruitful careers for them and prepare them for the real world.
As much as all the knowledge that we get in school and other learning institutions is important in making our lives much better, there are other equally important skills that most of us do not necessarily get from formal education settings. Some of them are already taught to specialists but this does not mean that you won’t find any value in learning them. In fact, there is so much to be gained from learning some of these skills.
1. First Aid
Often times, when someone gets hurt the immediate action taken by most people is dialing 911. Well, this is great, but what if you could do more? First aid is so important in our lives because it can help to save a life before help from the real medical professionals arrives. Learning first aid is just about getting acquainted with basic procedures and following guidelines to give some initial, and possibly life-sustaining, treatment to a patient depending on what has happened to them.
2. Self Defense
Usually, when someone speaks about self-defense, we often gravitate towards the possibility of being robbed, or kidnapped. However, it goes way beyond that. Being able to defend yourself and others in varying degrees of danger can make a big difference. Anyone can get assaulted, robbed or kidnapped regardless of whether you live in the safest neighborhoods or you’re just hanging out with some friends. It always pays to be prepared.
3. Risk Management
When the words “risk management” crop up, most would immediately think about the finance sector. Sure, there is indeed a lot of risk management involved in that industry, but you’d be surprised how often risk management plays a part in our everyday lives.
From something as simple as deciding whether or not to ask someone out on a date, to deciding which house to buy, risk management comes in all shapes and sizes.
Another common place where risk is involved is in gambling – a very common form of adult entertainment. For most gambling lovers, there’s no better place than Las Vegas for all its glitz and glamour, as well as the endless opportunities to gamble whether you want to bet on sports or tango with the casinos. However, as with most things that involve risk it is very important that before you try gambling with real money, you make sure to train yourself properly.
This is especially the case when placing sports bets as there is a lot of technical knowledge required to minimize risk and maximize profit. A great place to do this is online where you can find tons of top sports betting sites, like those found here, with huge bonuses that you can use to practice. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the different game markets as well as increasing your chances of winning.
4. Gamble with Your Brain, Not Your Heart
For sports fans, there are people who would do anything to go behind their favorite sports team and this sometimes extends to the way they bet. However, to become a better gambler, it is important to play with your head and not your heart. In other words, being rational is key to developing an amazing gambling strategy while at the same time having just about the same amount of fun as everyone else.
5. Swimming
Considering the fact that a little over 70 percent of the world’s population is covered in water and that accidental drowning is one of the biggest problems that human beings face, swimming is one of the skills that everyone should get acquainted with. If you are good swimmer you are an asset to yourself and other people who may get into some trouble in the water.
6. Budgeting
School teaches us a lot of things but budgeting is something that many people tend to take for granted. Whether it is a daily, weekly, or monthly budget it will be very beneficial if you are able to keep an account of every penny that you spend. Not only do you get to cut down on unnecessary expenses but you also get to have the satisfaction of knowing that you are spending wisely.
7. Knowing Your Limitations and Constraints
Let’s face it, total freedom is somewhat of a paradox – nothing can happen in an environment that does not have any constraints. So, before you invest any bit of energy into anything you must figure out the constraints and limitations as well as your own strengths and weaknesses.
8. Reasoning
This overlooked life skill is built and learned through the development of memory, attention, and imagination. For instance, learning to discern cause is a typical function of reasoning. This important skill allows us to look at various things objectively and, in turn, we can make the right decisions.
9. Communicating Effectively
Whether it’s through speaking or writing, communicating effectively makes life much easier for individuals and those they are speaking to. Effective communication basically means that you are able to not only express your needs and desires but also relate to the needs and desires of the people around you.
10. Basic Tech Skills
Needless to say, we interact with technology so much that it may be easy to dismiss the fact there is so much that goes into making them work. You don’t necessarily have to be a technology guru to deal with basic troubleshooting of devices or connecting your computer to the internet. Such skills will give you a sense of control over the technology you use while at the same time saving you quite a bit of money.