Set yourself up for success later in life by getting good at these things early.
Invest money thoughtfully
in your 20s and the
miracle of compound interest means a modest amount saved early will yield a
much larger payout later. The same can be said of skills. Learn to be a better
conversationalist early, for instance, and you might meet and charm just the
right person to land the entry-level job of your dreams, which could lead to a
another great career break, and so on ...
So what are the skills
most likely to pay the greatest dividends over time if you master them before
you hit 30? Several threads on
question-and-answer site Quora have asked just this, soliciting advice from the
more experienced for young professionals hoping to set themselves up for
success later on. An examination of a host of answers reveals a few common
themes. According to the wisdom of Quora, these are the skills you'd really
benefit from acquiring in your 20s:
1. Coping with uncertainty
You might think that as you get older, the chaos of your life
will go away and you'll get to live with more certainty about the future. Maybe
a little, but many respondents caution that uncertainty never goes away, so you
should get comfortable with it now.
"Accept that you will never have anything figured
out," writes copywriter Joe Choi, as "it's near impossible to plan
where you'll be a few years." Respondent Ayushi Aswal agrees. She puts
"how to manage uncontrollable situations" at the top of her list of
most necessary skills.
2. Communicating with grace
You've been using words since you were a toddler, but that
doesn't mean you will master the art of communication by the time you turn 20.
Most of us don't. But don't let yourself enter your fourth decade without
getting a handle on clear, compelling, and polite communication, insist a
number of answers.
"Think about ways to
challenge yourself, and tweak how you write an email or behave in a
meeting," suggests one
anonymous but extremely popular answer. It offers a few more
specific ideas: "Don't hit 'send' immediately after composing a note.
Instead, give yourself a beat or two, then reread the email, make edits, and
then hit 'send.' Or, during your next team meeting, resist talking about your
idea or opinion right off the bat. Instead, count to five, and if you still
feel like you have something relevant to contribute, speak up."
Entrepreneur Brian Bain
agrees. "How to communicate and interact professionally," tops his
list of skills you should master in your 20s. "Look around and notice how
the ability to freely and easily talk to people helps those who have already
crossed their 20s, and how the lack thereof makes things unnecessarily
difficult for some," cautions technologist Sugandha Banga. "No
matter how knowledgeable you are, people are not going to take your work
seriously unless you know at least the basics of holding up a decent
conversation."
3. Respecting those who are different from you
"I think it's easy
to judge people based on your own definitions of success and
a meaningful life, without recognizing that everybody has their own
definition," warns designer Francis Chen. "Everybody is different,
and has different pathways to life. Respect that, and respect yourself."
Consultant Michael Hoffman concurs: "Put yourself in the
other person's shoes," he instructs. "Think about how they will
perceive what you are communicating or doing. Without understanding context and
perspective, we run the risk of ... creating problems rather than solving them;
and appearing blunt and unsympathetic." Several responses make a special
point of noting the need to learn to respect the opposite sex.
4. Asking for what you want
You need to respect others, but you need to respect yourself and
your own potential as well. To do that fully, you need to get comfortable
asking for the things you want in life. "The ability to ask is the
easiest, most underutilized skill to catapult your career," says the
same much up-voted anonymous answer. "The old adage is true: 'If you
don't ask, you don't receive.' Many careerists don't ask to pitch their idea,
for a raise or promotion, a bigger sales deal, or to take on more
responsibility. When this happens--or doesn't happen, rather--you're far less
likely to find challenge, meaning, and reward in your work."
Copywriter Joe Cassandra
writes something similar: "Learn to negotiate now.
Earnings compound over time." How do you learn to ask? Start small, the
anonymous answer suggests: "Try practicing in non-work related
contexts. At the farmer's market, you could ask a vendor for a lower price on
the asparagus; at home, you could ask your partner to attend dance lessons; on
the street, you could ask a stranger, 'How are you?'"
5. Being resilient
No matter how smart, talented, and ambitious you are, things
won't always go your way (especially once you've left the cocoon of school
and your parents' protection). Learn how to cope with setbacks early and
they'll discourage you less.
"Your 20s is a time
when most are relatively free of the responsibilities that will increase into
your 30s and 40s," writes recruiter Carolyn Cho. "This is a great
time to experiment, fail, and bounce back. Learn how to ride out failure and
persevere. Life is full of challenges. The 20s are a great time to toughen up and
start teaching yourself how to be emotionally and mentally resilient enough
to weather both the joys and hardships to come."
6. Spending your time and money wisely
You may be relatively footloose and fancy-free in your 20s, but
that doesn't mean you should squander the decade. It's a truth that applies to
both time and money. "Time is a precious commodity, and you start to
realize that increasingly into your mid- to late 20s," Cho also writes. So
learn to choose the people and activities you spend your time on carefully.
"Focus your time and energy on things that will help you grow and
give," agrees Chen.
Many respondents also noted that while spending on mind-expanding
travel or education is great if you can swing it, you also need to at least
start to get a handle on your finances. Bain includes "how to create and
stick to a budget," on his list of most important skills for young people,
for instance.
7. Cooking
Looking for something a little more focused and practical? You'd
be surprised how many people suggested learning to cook. These respondents
claim it's a great skill to master that will greatly improve your life for
decades. (If you like to eat good food and don't have an unlimited budget, I
personally can't agree with this one enough.)
"Most people live solo or away from families, so knowing
how to cook becomes critical to maintain a balanced and healthy
lifestyle," writes engineer Gurvinder Arora. "I have developed a lot
of patience thanks to cooking. It also helps to impress the ladies."
What skills would you add to
this list?
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