8 Things Everyone Should Know

In the past, there were essential skills that everyone learned, whether it was in a formal school setting or at home from their respective families. Now, people tend to take on too many activities, and sometimes essential life skills are pushed aside, or well-meaning parents do the work for their kids so they can focus on other things. Regardless of the reason for missing out on learning basic life fundamentals, it is never too late to learn. Keep reading for a helpful list to get you started.

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Become Certified in First Aid Skills

How to give life-saving assistance in an emergency situation is a vital skill set to have. When you take the time to learn first aid best practices, you are better prepared to render aid if you need to. By practicing first aid and then renewing it as appropriate, these skills become part of your muscle memory, which will help you remain calm instead of succumbing to panic in a stressful situation.

Memorize Important Phone Numbers

If this one took you by surprise, ask yourself whether you can recall your friends, family members, and emergency contact numbers from memory. When your smartphone only requires you to select a name assigned to a phone number, it is easy to bypass any effort to even try to memorize important phone numbers. If, however, your phone loses charge, or is damaged or lost, you will need to know those phone numbers. Write them down on a sticky note and affix it to your bathroom mirror. Challenge yourself to memorize them while brushing your teeth.

Learn How to Swim

Not everyone has an opportunity to learn how to swim in their childhood for one reason or another. Many people might think they will never need to know how because swimming for leisure or recreation does not interest them. And yet, learning how to swim may one day save your life or at least make it a little more fun. If your friends are all going to the beach, do you want to spend the day on the sand all alone? If you go on a cruise, of course, there are life preservers and lifeboats, but there are probably also water excursions. And then there are the accidents that occur in life. Knowing at least the basic strokes that will help you stay afloat or get back to the edge of the pool could truly be the difference between life and death.

Create a Resume

A resume is an essential introduction to the business world. That world may be one of fast food or high-end finance. Wherever your path takes you in life, you will need to pass through the world of employment along the way. With intense competition for many jobs, you need to showcase your skills, education, and previous job experience in a clear format. Your resume and additional documentation, such as a cover letter, will get you noticed instead of passed over.

Watch this video to learn how to stand above the competition on paper when applying for jobs.

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Advocate for Yourself

“I statements” are empowering. They hold a wealth of information in a handful of words. They make a situation about you, but not in a self-centered manner. The next time you feel intimidated or are in a conversation where you are frustrated with another person, take an emotional step back and think about what you want and need. Saying, “I feel frustrated when you say you are going to do the dishes but leave them,” is much better than “You never do the dishes,” and telling your boss, “I need to take time off to care for my sick child” is better than complaining to a co-worker about your problems. If you have difficulty standing up for yourself, determine your needs and then practice your statements in front of a mirror. Write them down if that will help you through a stressful conversation.

Learn How to Fact Check

No matter where you lie on the political spectrum or what your belief system is, you should learn how to fact-check content. People put words out into the world, especially online because it is so easy, and they are not always based on logic or fact. Use these tips to be a discerning consumer of information.

• Look at the byline. Is an actual person writing the content?
• If not an opinion piece, does there seem to be too much opinion within an article?
• Does there seem to be an agenda?
• Is the content one-sided?
• Can you find this same content elsewhere online – not in other social media postings, but from multiple reputable sources?
• Look up questionable content on websites such as these to filter disinformation and misinformation from facts.

Create a Budget

Money is a fraught topic for many. Learning how to manage it by creating a budget will help you plan for the future, alleviate stress, and live better right now. Start by compiling all of your known income and expenditures. Add them to a spreadsheet, notebook, or budgeting app. Once you have this step completed, do the math to determine any shortcomings between incoming and outgoing funds. Next, cancel any unnecessary expenses if you need to and if you can live without them. Moving forward, track every single expense you make from an inexpensive pack of gum to the latest concert tickets. By paying attention to where your money is going, you are better able to determine the need for a better-paying job or a reduction in expenses.

Learn How to Change a Tire

If you have a driver’s license, one essential skill to learn is how to change a tire. While all vehicles are different, the basics are the same. Start by learning how to change the tires on your own vehicle. If you lack confidence in the process or how to begin, contact a local maintenance shop or your dealership for help finding someone who can teach you. While you may never need to change a tire, if you end up on the side of the road with no cell service or between towns, you will be so glad you learned how.

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While this list is not even remotely exhaustive, it is a good place to start. Depending on where you live and what you already know, the things you need to know may differ vastly from someone else’s. What matters is that you obtain new and essential skills and continue to learn as you go through life.