Skills That Will Bless You Forever

LIfehas no instruction manual, which is why most of us fumble through life’s vicissitudes, learning as we get along.

However, in today’s world, where technology enables us to source information via the crowd, it is possible to glean the most important life’s skills from an array of people and sources in one go.

This is why it is pertinent to pose the question: What are the most useful skills to learn? Here are the most difficult, but useful skills to learn.

You can be the most brilliant and even wealthy person in the world, but if you don’t care for or empathise with other people, then you basically are nothing, but a misfit. That is why learning empathy is very important. Empathy is a fundamental human ability that has been too readily forsworn by modern business. Empathy, the ability to feel what others feel, is what makes good sales people great.

Empathy as in team spirit- esprit de corpsmotivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy.

The skill of mastering your sleep comes after empathy. The harm that befalls you as a result of sleep deprivation is far-reaching and more detrimental to your general health and wellbeing.

Thus, it is worthwhile for you to establish a general sleep routine and stick to it to make sure you get enough sleep. Optimum performance will elude you without sufficient sleep.

Time management comes next. Without a properly managed time, your success at the workplace will be elusive. Success at your personal goals is doubly at risk also, for you cannot meet your personal goals or finish your work on time. Effective time management helps you get things done on time. Asking for help is yet another skill. It is hard to ask for help, because you don’t want to appear incompetent. But consider what might happen if you don’t recognise that you need help and don’t ask for it. You can really end up in a big mess.

Asking for help doesn’t mean you are weak. On the contrary, the managers I have admired most in my career were those who openly owned up that they didn’t understand the procedure and asked for help, because they didn’t how to proceed themselves.

A recent study from the Harvard School of Business suggests that asking for advice is actually well received and makes you look more, not less, capable. By asking for advice, you acknowledge the other person’s intelligence or expertise, which makes them feel good. Good outcomes raise the self-esteem of both persons. This improves the impact of positive self-talk, building selfconfidence and a positive self-image, while negative self-talk will do the opposite.

In the words of the great American automaker, Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.

A skill in consistency also comes handy. Whether you are trying to imbibe a new routine, studying for your doctorate at home on part-time or working on an important project, consistency is vital to your success. People often stop working hard when they reach the top, but so many maintain that top position by working harder and being more consistent in their

(TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK)