What are the 7 essential life skills?

It is said that success is a journey, not a destination. It is an amalgamation of one’s short term and long term accomplishments. Here we have outlined what are the 7 essential life skills which allow us to problem solve and reach the goals we aspire to achieve in our lives.

Decision Making

Decision making is a significant life skill which is essential for our lives as our existence is played out ultimately  through the choices we make. These skills include focus, time management and thinking creatively.

Some of the steps you can follow in order to arrive at the right decision are as follows: Gather relevant information, identify the issues, weigh the pros and cons.

Last but not the least, consider the alternatives and finally arrive at a decision after considering all the consequences, which might come along with it.

Most of the time people acquire this lifelong skill by means of their life experiences and through trial and error. In fact, our decisions reflect our values.

Overall decision making is a collection of habits and thought processes which you can hone with passage of time. Strong decisions help you in setting realistic goals for yourself so that you are set up for long-term success.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a cognitive skill with the power to unleash the full potential of the human mind. 

We come across complex and varying situations wherein we are required to analyze and make informed decisions accordingly about things on an everyday basis.

Developing this higher order skill with time can definitely contribute to one’s personal growth and development.

This in turn helps us analyze and evaluate information and develop problem solving skills thus allowing thinkers to craft innovative solutions to intricate challenges.

Communication Skills

Communication is a two way street and developing listening skills is paramount for successfully conveying your thoughts across to the other person.

In fact, being able to properly communicate is one of the most significant and empowering life long skills one must develop.

Having good communication skills enables us to have a better understanding of people. This further helps us to overcome obstacles while building mutual trust and respect.

In fact, listening is also an integral part of developing communication skills. At the end of the day, it helps us to have a cheerful, happy and a peaceful life.

Focus and Self Control

 

Focus and self control are paramount life skills which are building blocks for achieving success in life. Developing focus helps you stay out of any distractions and pay attention to the prioritized item.

Staying focused helps you to regulate one’s emotions and impulses.

The other benefits of being focused in life are the ability to stay on track and achieve one’s goals.

Self control helps a person to set their priorities and avoid impulsive responses and emotions. In fact, studies have shown that we can improve upon these skills during childhood all the way till adulthood.

It refers to your ability to manage your behavior for achieving goals and avoiding negative consequences.

So we encourage you to develop a plan that will help you stay on track.

Thinking in advance about the consequences before you go ahead with a specific action also helps you exercise self-control during the moment while thinking about your long term goals.

Coping with Stress

 

We encounter various types of situations in our lives. Stress is a natural part of our lives. However, too much stress can lead to disastrous consequences on our body.

Coping with stressful times and situations is a lifelong skill which enables us to not only identify the situation and accept it but also recognize the source.

We should be able to develop the ability to overcome the stress as well as manage the source of stress.

Managing feelings of anxiety and difficult situations remains a challenge for most of the people who fail to develop this significant skill.

Developing this skill helps to provide us the ability to face stressful situations, take care of difficult emotions and look for solutions that are most beneficial.

One should identify the activities which helps you to relax. Talk to supportive people if you require to share your stress.

Practicing meditation, getting regular exercise and rebalancing your work/home are some of the steps you can take to cope up with varied situations.

Self-Awareness

 

Self-Awareness is a significant life long skill that contributes to our improved communication, personal growth, decision making and interpersonal relationships.

A self aware person is able to develop their ability to make a note of their feelings, habits, behaviors and thoughts.

We need to practice this skill in order to develop it and this requires a lot of effort and continuous reflection. You cannot learn these skills by reading books.

There is a need to thoroughly practice self awareness as a skill in various situations so that it becomes a natural part of one’s behavior.

If we desire to be happier and become a better decision maker, self awareness is the most important quality we need to develop within ourselves. It helps us to become our best version.

If you are self-aware you can ultimately evaluate yourself, manage your emotions and align your behavior with your values.

Problem Solving Skills

 

 

Having strong problem skills is essential since we face problems on an everyday basis in all aspects of our life.

Right from the time we wake up till we go to sleep we have new challenges thrown at us across varied situations.

We need to know the ways to improve upon our problem solving skills to lead empowered and successful lives. It boosts our confidence and bridges the gap between our thinking and our actions.

There are many ways to work on and improve our problem solving skills.

Some of the effective ways by which we can do that is identifying the problem, collecting relevant info, conducting analysis, figuring out multiple solutions.

The next steps include evaluating and ultimately selecting the best solution, it’s implementation and finally putting it into action.

In the end, following a systematic approach which is built on well-defined steps including emotional intelligence, a positive approach and resilience can help find solutions.

This will ultimately lead to productive, sustainable and long term solutions to combat your challenges.

Conclusion

Developing strong life skills help individuals to face and cope with the challenges of our daily lives.

These are essential for navigating through the challenges in our life and leading fulfilling lives. Our life skills are not only paramount for reaching our career goals but also for our personal growth.

Out of the ones we listed above, you can develop most of them over time through practice and training.

Mastering the essential life skills can help you ultimately become more self-sufficient and resilient, which are essential qualities required in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world.

And for all the reading buffs out there interested in business related reads, here is a great video showcasing some of the essential life changing books you should take a look at. Watch the video now!