11 Must Have Life Skills Every Adult Needs

There are skills that children need to learn: tying their shoes, cleaning their room, and brushing their teeth are a few examples. There are also important life skills that adults need to learn.These skills will help you not only survive, but thrive in the big world.

Master these skills and reap the benefits:Make a great first impression. It’s not easy to overcome a negative first impression. Others form an opinion about you very quickly, and it takes a significant amount of time to change that impression.

Wouldn’t life be so much happier and easier if it came with a manual tailored for your specific  needs. Imagine for a second, knowing exactly what to do, and when to do it. 

Should you buy  that house? Should you date that person? Should you accept that job offer? These and many more  decisions would be so much easier if we knew the outcomes.

 Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case,  and most of what we learned as children becomes irrelevant as we grow older and age.

You’ll have to learn a lot as you transition into adulthood, things like managing your taxes,  paying bills, and managing your finances need to become second nature to you. And although many  

of the things you’ll need to learn and do aren't difficult to achieve, you must be aware of them.

So let me save you time and give you the simple life skills every adult needs to learn,  to successfully navigate life and achieve their goals and desires, no matter how small.

Number 1: Effective time management

On one side of the coin, you will encounter many situations throughout your life where  you have to juggle, multiple personal and professional priorities. And on the other side,  dealing with the pitfalls of life. 

 But knowing how to manage your time,  can significantly help manage this problem.

It's imperative to stick with one task at a time when it comes to time management. It is  counterproductive to multitask because the brain expends energy switching between activities. 

Also, multitasking has been show to drastically  decrease the quality of work and productivity of the individual.

Number 2: Learn how to set goals.

Goals can help you achieve what you most desire in life. Without goals, your life lacks direction.  

The acronym "SMART" has stood the test of time because it's effective. And this acronym simply  means that your goals should be Specific – A clear and well defined goal is easier to focus and  measure progress.

Measurable – you should be able to clearly track your progress and  achievements.

Achievable – the goal needs to be within reach given your resources and  abilities. 

Relevant – meaning that it should align with your values and interest,  and overall life or career objective. 

 Timebound – therefore it should  be subjected to a deadline, because the sense of urgency helps keeps you focused.

A good goal should be one that inspires and excites you, it should give you a sense of  purpose and direction, and it should also be challenging, yet achievable.

Number 3: Budgeting

Budgeting and financial responsibility are vital life skills, and are also  the foundation of a financially secure life.

Making a budget is at the top of the list of people’s favorite money-saving tactics. Having  a budget not only allows you to track every penny you spend, but it can also be used to assess your  current financial condition and make future projections. 

With a budget, you can determine  how much of your income you put into savings, and your biggest expenses, such as; housing,  food, and transportation. In addition, it can help you keep track of your debt repayment progress.

If you have never created a budget, you can start today by following these 5 simple steps: 

• First, record your income: Estimate your monthly income, from wages, tips,  and so on. Almost all expenses are paid monthly, so making a budget for one month works well. 
• Secondly, document Your Expenses: List each expenditure in a month.  Write down your monthly fixed expenses, like rent. The calculate your average  monthly grocery spending. If you have only recurring expenses, such as auto repairs,  divide the yearly cost by 12. Also include insurance, home maintenance, and taxes.
• Thirdly, budget for savings: Don't forget to set aside funds for savings. Saving the  leftovers from your income at the end of the month is unlikely to yield any results. Rather,  pay yourself first: Treat savings as a necessity, and take it before anything else.
• The second last point is, maintain a balanced budget:  Compile your income and expenditures. If the numbers balance, you are in reasonable  shape. You can add the extra to your savings if your income is higher than your expenses.  Find ways to cut costs, or earn some extra money, if expenses exceed income.
• And lastly, be flexible: Budgeting is a process. So, you'll need to adjust  it as time moves on. Maintain a record of how much you spend monthly. If necessary,  move your money from areas where your budgeting is better to areas where you perform poorly. 
• Also,  you can change your budgeting method if you have trouble following it.  For income that fluctuates from month to month, you might want  to try zero-based budgeting. This system bases your spending on your previous monthly income.

Number 4: Negotiating effectively.

We all want to avoid being cheated out of our money, so having excellent negotiation skills  is helpful not only for professionals, but also you. Negotiation is a valuable life skill since  making an offer and learning how to negotiate can save you money. If you find yourself in  a challenging money situation, the ability to negotiate well, will come in handy.

 And,  if you’re not comfortable with negotiating, keep practicing until you feel confident.

Number 5: Learn the art of public speaking

Communication is part of everyday life, but you must know the basics that will captivate your  audience. Others may take to public speaking like it was second nature, whereas some may squirm in  the corner. You can take the initiative and sign up for a public speaking class or jump right in  and speak to a large group of people if you’re confident and the opportunity avails itself.  

You can share your ideas in a religious setting or engage in an open forum at your community meeting  to home your public speaking skills. As you practice, you'll notice that your skills improve.

Number 6: Network effectively.

Even though many people are resistant to networking, it is necessary for your success,  and probably your children’s too. The strength of your professional network is the people you  have at your disposal. 

These are people you can turn to for advice, information,  referrals, and introductions, and in the same vain, turn to you.

Number 7: Make a positive first impression.

Did you know that first impressions are formed in about three seconds. Within this short period,  people form an opinion about you based on your appearance, body language, and demeanor. 

If you  make a positive impression, it will impact all areas of your life, whether in your career or  social life. So make it a norm, to be presenting the best version of yourself at all times.

Number 8: Learn how to socialize with people.

The vast majority of people reach adulthood without any knowledge  of getting along with others. If you happen to struggle with getting along with others,  a good starting point is Dale Carnegie's advice in his classic book, "How to Win  Friends and Influence People.". 

The following are six ways Carnegie suggests making others like you:

1. Genuinely show interest in others. 2. Smile a lot. 

3. It is imperative to remember a person's name. 

4. You should always listen carefully to what  people are saying. Allow them to tell you about themselves. 

5. It would be best to always speak about the other person's interests. 

6. You should make them feel important - and do it with honesty.

Number 9: Take Advantage of Body Language.

Our body language reveals our true feelings and amplifies our message. It goes beyond just words. Voice tone, gestures, and posture all play a key role. 

The expression of a relaxed smile with an upturned mouth and wrinkled eyes is  an excellent example of body language. An upright stance can convey interest or  touching your head can communicate thinking.

 Hand and arm movements can convey directions.  

It can also be about avoiding defensive postures or restlessly tapping feet. 

If you can "read" signs like these, you can understand what someone is trying  to tell you. You'll know how people react to what you say and do. 

And it  will improve your ability to appear positive, engaged, and approachable.

Number 10: Learn Effective Decision Making Skills.

Every day, we constantly have to make choices in life. In some cases,  these choices can be easy; in others, they can be challenging.  

A simple decision can be choosing the clothes to wear, what to eat, or read.

The most difficult decisions require deep thought. College, career choices,  starting a family, and even getting married and having children are all difficult decisions.  

Making these decisions is challenging because they profoundly impact who we are and what we do.

In a nutshell, decision-making is a skill everyone needs. We do not innately possess it;  instead, it is a proven process derived from experience.

 And  here are five easy steps you can use to make the right decision.

1. Determine Your Goal. Focusing on your goal is  

one of the most effective ways to make decisions. You need to clarify the purpose of your decision  

by asking yourself, what exactly are you trying to achieve? How can this problem be resolved? 

You'll make better decisions if you know what's most important to  

you. Deciding with a sound reason will allow you to defend and stick with it.

2. Weigh the Options. Making good decisions involves  gathering relevant information. In this way, you will better grasp the problems and solve them. 

Ask your friends and family members for their opinions or speak to experts because,  this will help you develop various options when  weighing your options. Use every resource you can before making your final decision.

3. Examine the Consequences. Your final decision can be just as important as  your first decision because it will determine the impact on you and others.

 Ask yourself what will  likely happen because of your decision. How will it impact you? Will it have long-term effects?

Here you can compare the positive or negative options you listed earlier. It is crucial  because you want to be comfortable with all your choices and the results.

4. Decide. Having identified  your goal and gathered all necessary data, you can now weigh the consequences and  decide. Trusting your instincts is vital since this step can cause anxiety in some people. 

Consider this when deciding what you want. Ask yourself, "is it right for you now?" Will it work  in the long run? Answering these questions will make you feel good about the outcome.

5. Measure Your Results.

To succeed, you must evaluate both the decision and the steps you've taken  once you've decided on your final course of action.

 As you would from step one,  you will benefit quite a bit from this last step, as it will aid you in developing decision-making  skills for the future. You may also need to seek out new information and make changes as you go. 

You need to exercise patience during this step. But why? Because the results may not  come right away. You may have to choose another option if the first choice does not work.Moving on.

Number 11: Know how to use a first aid kit.

This may sound funny, but not a lot of people know what’s in a first Aid kit,  nor how to properly use the things in it. 

 Nearly everyone will need a first aid kit  at some point in their lives. So, you should ensure that you know how to use the equipment  when the time arises. It is a good idea to have one at home and one in your vehicle.