If you’re approaching adulthood or are a young adult, you might feel like the world before you is intimidatingly big and how much you don’t know yet scares you. But if you note these basic life skills and start mastering them, you are well on your way to dispelling those growth fears:
Budgeting
You had your hand early into financial literacy back when you were still receiving a regular stipend from your parents. During that period, you gained an idea of how it is to work around available money. Now that you are, more or less, on your way to complete financial independence, you should have realized how it isn’t as easy as you thought it was and that if you lose control with your spending even briefly it is going to snowball across your other finances.
That is why it is only right to heed the advice of financial experts because, sadly, financial management isn’t taught in primary and secondary school. As soon as you get a job, taxes will be on your doorstep. And, so before you max that paycheck for less necessary things, you should at least already have allotted a portion of it for the payment of your dues to the government and, of course, the rest to your living expenses.
Trying first-hand earning a living for yourself, you will realize how money is indeed hard-earned and it does not last you long, either, especially if you splurge beyond necessary. Accounting principle-wise, the value of money is bound to fluctuate over time and you want to protect yourself from this uncertainty. As such, another indispensable financial skill to learn as early as you can is preserving your wealth.
There is no better way to preserve your wealth, even grow it, than through investments. Do not be intimidated by financial jargon and ask experts in the field. And, being as that properties are the least risky and the most guaranteed to grow in value over time, it is wise to approach a reputable mortgage company, and they would be glad to walk you through an investment plan that works best for your current financial standing. You could also invest in stocks or their more speculative but, otherwise, more trendy equivalents which are non-fungible tokens.
Life-Saving Skills
We do not wish it for ourselves or anyone, especially our loved ones, to be in harm’s way. But, the risks are always around us or our lifestyles are paving the way for them to manifest. With this, there are life-saving skills you can learn, and most of them you can learn through online tutorials or a certified training course.
Foremost of which is how to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Another, which many takes for granted, is the Heimlich maneuver to save a person who is choking. For your sake and, in some cases, that of others, knowing how to swim could be just your salvation someday, if not knowing how to create makeshift floaters in dire situations and knowing practical survival tips when you’re stranded on water or on an isolated island.
You are also bound to travel solo someday or, even if you’re with a group, you cannot put your guard down because you’re somewhere unfamiliar. If not for business or leisure purposes, you might also have to travel impromptu for family emergencies, and so it is most convenient if you know how to book plane tickets online.
When in a foreign country, you should also be able to know how and where to ask for help such that you are not compromising the confidentiality of your identity or your safety. You should also be aware of common theft, abduction, and scamming schemes aside from keeping your possessions safe. Just as important is how to tell if the food you’re served in a restaurant has gone bad and, if you’ve unfortunately been poisoned, you should know how to manage yourself and obtain ample medical attention.
Health and Nutrition
Without your parents checking on your health as often as before, you should realize that eating take-out and junk food almost every day of the week is not going to be sustainable in the long run. You won’t feel them now, but, the detrimental effects of a poor diet will certainly manifest later in life and it is not going to be fun. That is why you should work to get in touch with your body, what it needs, how unique its needs are, and, of course, supplying it adequately.
Maximize the general checkup benefit your company has to keep tabs on any health conditions and solicit as much medical advice from the doctors. Do not discount the vast availability of health information online. You can also learn of food items and their respective nutritional content and, from there, learn how to source raw ingredients and to cook dishes.
A gym subscription may not always be the most practical option for you, and so you have to learn to make do with machineless workout routines that you can stick to keep you in good shape and ready to tackle daily challenges. Do not undermine the strength of your mind and train it to respond to stress in the best ways through meditation, mental health breaks, and stress relief activities.
Adulting could be such a daunting task but everybody should go through it. You can make it worthwhile by being prepared for it with the most basic life skills.
