Life Skills that enhance Life

Hi Everyone

Seems to me there are two types of life skills and both are valuable in our future success.

The first set of life skills are defined by Ellen Galinsky, based on the ideas of the French psychologist Jean Piaget, who is generally recognized as the father of developmental psychology charting how children grow mentally from babies through being toddlers to school.

These skills are Focus and Self-Control, Perspective Taking, Communicating,Making Connections, Critical Thinking,Taking on Challenges and finally Self-Directed, Engaged Learning.

These are all skills that we should learn as children to help us succeed in life. So, for example we should learn focus and self-control so that we can concentrate on what we are doing and not be distracted.

Unfortunately we are now in an age where this self control and focus is diminishing in many cases and you can see this with that device we all carry now - the mobile phone. Have you noticed how so many people are distracted by their phones during conversation and at meal-time for example. And this now covers all ages and intelligence levels. Go to a restaurant and watch the diners. Usually conversation has died and it's not unusual for everyone at a table to be texting, reading messages or talking on their phones. And this of course not only demonstrates the lack of focus and self control but shows a lack of common good manners to the others they are dining with.

Likewise YouTube clam that most people will switch from any video they are watching after about a minute, and anything longer than 3 minutes had better be absolutely riveting to retain any interest. 

So by learning how to focus and how to have self-control, and then being able to put this into practice can put you head and shoulders above the rest. But this not only works for whatever we are doing at the moment but also achieving what we want in the future. For how can you succeed if you have a goal but can't focus long enough to take the steps necessary to achieve it?

The last skill in this list is self-directed self-learning skills that will enable us to undertake work, to carry out practical jobs in our social environment and to be increase our interlect through creative skills, all of which we can learn. And in general get a direction to our future.

So it is recognised that we live in an ever changing world where there is no job for life, where our social lives are continually evolving. And this has changed dramatically just in the last 30 years or so. When I left school everyone said get a job in a bank, as a teacher, in local government and you've got a job for life with a good pension. And many of my peers did just that. And now they've retired with their pension and, in many cases their lives continue to be a regular routine that hasn't changed through the years. I read that over 85% of the population are unhappy at work so for many its been a lifetime of over 80,000 hours of unhappiness or at the very least boredom and unfulfillment. Many have taken up hobbies that have become absorbing and filled the void from being unhappy at work but not all.

Now we live in a different world. A world with more opportunities, A world where you can achieve anything that is physically possible. I'm not saying that you can do anything. It's highly unlikely you'll become a premier league footballer if you have a physical disability that prevents this: its unlikely you'll be able to fly without wings. But there is nothing to stop you becoming a millionaire, a university professor, a top artist or writer. You just need the life skills to achieve this. focus and self control to start with and the knowledge to carry out your ambition. If you want to be an artist then you need to learn to draw and paint. Looking back at the greats is inspirational. We look at all the artists of old and most had an apprenticeship where they nay have worked with a master artist for years learning how to paint hands or eyes, clouds or water. And only when they mastered these skills did they move on to create works themselves. 

Now this is becoming simple. We don't need vast shelves of  encyclodepeas because its all on the internet. You can find anything online. I believe that books are invaluable and I've quite a library including how-to books and classics; and I read frequently but this is just one resource. I still like the feel of books and settling down to read is relaxing and can help me switch off from general life for a while. But there are so many more resources online for an immediate answer.

So you can learn anything for free. But to learn about a specific subject such as photography or gardening, cake-making or a new language then I highly recommend

enrolling in a paid course. There are courses on every subject under the sun and the benefits are that you will be taught by a professional in a planned learning schedule. All the information will be together so you wont waste time on searching it out, and the information should be accurate so you won't have to decide what is correct or otherwise. And finally you'll be able to ask questions and set up a dialogue should you wish. 

Learn a new skill today. Find a course that covers something you want to learn or do and feel the satisfaction when you finish.

Here are my courses. Click on the image to go to the website

 

Is a university degree worthwhile?

Having a university degree seems important today, with a high intake recently. Although I'm not totally convinced. 

I see so many graduates who have their degree but are working in low paid jobs that probably don't lead anywhere. Graduates that are working in shops or cafes when they have a good degree in law, marketing or geology. And although universities train students to think and create this is only happening with a minority. Sure we all know graduates who are doctors, lawyers, teachers and nurses, and who are successful and settled in a career. But these are a minority.

I personally feel that the old system of layered education was far better. There was a place for all. Universities for the brightest, colleges for the majority who wanted to learn skills over a shorter period and to a lower standard, and apprenticeships for those wanting to specialise in manual skills such as mechanics, plumbers, electricians and brickies. Ok. So there are some apprentices around and colleges too, but not enough of the former and not enough discipline in the latter. By discipline I mean ensuring students attend, behave in a socially acceptable manner and learn. I've been in colleges recently where this just isn't happening. I gave a course on entrepreneurship a couple of years ago in a college and only 7 out of 23 students bothered to turn up. Two were totally disinterested and one fell asleep. Now I'm not a trained teacher but I do put my message through with enthusiasm and was surprised. The tutor told me that this was common, and incidentally they left a year later.

We are now in a world of insecurity with jobs, and the need to change. So life-long learning is really important from a jobs perspective. Learning new life skills can open up  big opportunities for anyone who continues to learn.

Now it's true that you can learn anything on YouTube for free. But online courses offer so much more. Firstly they offer a comprehensive course in one place, then they are structured so that you learn through a system, usually tutors/lecturers are available to talk over particular issues but there is usually a a discussion board so that both students and lecturer can cover points in depth. And you can learn anytime, anywhere where you have an internet connection, and any topic. 

That knowledge you gain can help you at work but also throughout your life. And if you have some knowledge about a specific topic you might even become a lecturer with your own courses. It's not difficult. 

Meanwhile watch out for more