• Goals
  • Describe life skills
  • Excel at life skills

Definition

A life skill (LS) is a skill that is super useful for any actor (person or group) in any context.

Here is a breakdown:

• Skill: A skill is something that a person does well. Examples include playing the guitar well, effective writing, public speaking, skilled welding, and so on.

• Actor: An actor refers to a person or a group. Many skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving, can be done by either one person or a group.

• Context: The context refers to the surrounding circumstances.

Examples of Life Skills

1. The ability to figure out what is true and what is not true is a life skill because every person and group can and should have this skill. This skill is known as critical thinking (CT).

2. The ability to solve problems, especially insanely hard problems, is a life skill. Anyone who can do this benefits.

3. The ability to work in a team or group such that you benefit immensely and the team benefits from your participation is a life skill.

4. The ability to rally people and then guide them to a better future is a life skill. This skill is known as leadership.

5. The ability to be healthy in all dimensions—physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, life-balance, and so on—is a life skill.

Rationale

There are several reasons for recognizing, learning, and becoming good at life skills:

1. Life skills are superpowers. They make actors awesome.

2. Life skills are mandatory for competence in most roles and professions.

3. Life skills are mandatory for effective groups: families, companies, teams, and so on.

Facts

1. I organize life skills into ten categories called the The 10 Essential Life Skills.

2. Life skills are not mastered. One can continually improve their performance.

3. Life skills can be taught and learned just like anything else.