Five Life Skills I Want My Kids To Have

As a parent, I have the unique privilege of sharing my life lessons with my kids just as my parents shared their perspectives with me when I was young. With the benefit of hindsight, I often remind my kids of the five life skills they need to invest in developing as they become adults.

Skill To Self-Learn 

Do you look for someone to teach you everything formally, or can you learn something independently? Learning how to code, how to present effectively, studying Thermodynamics, speak German, start a Blog, become a creative photographer, Sell, or anything that you believe will equip you with additional skills to become more productive and valuable. Develop the capacity and the skill to learn on your own without formal help. This is the age of self-learning.

Skill To Communicate Your Ideas

Ideas in the head don’t have any value until you get to share them with the world. Everyone should explore their potential to communicate effectively across all formats be it presenting ideas, pitching for support, influencing others or engaging colleagues. Storytelling and the ability to communicate effectively is a powerful life skill every person needs to have.

Skill To Journal Daily

Journaling is the process of simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. One of the ways to deal with any overwhelming emotion is to find a healthy way to express yourself, and journaling helps one do exactly that. When you journal, you become better at managing your anxiety, stress, and fears while building on your strengths. Thinking on paper- It’s a super skill everyone needs to develop.

Skill To Meditate

I think of meditation as a skill where you observe your thoughts without getting engaged with them. Meditation paradoxically is the mental equivalent of journaling. Meditation is a skill that will help you manage your mental state for the long life journey. It help you understand yourself better, be calm, mindful and present- a superpower in navigating the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous(VUCA) world we live in today.

Skill to Manage Personal Finances

What do you want in your life? And what do you want your money to do for you to lead a good life? What is your unique path to financial freedom? You can get the answers to these questions if you invest time developing the necessary skills to learn to manage your finances. Understanding markets, power of compounding, the value of money, and long-term investing are essential concepts everyone should be familiar with.