6 Important Life Skills for Everyone - The Muse

6 Important Life Skills for Everyone - The Muse6 Important Life Skills for EveryoneIn most organizations, continuous learning and self-improvement isnt a formal requirement, but its one of the top unwritten ones. Wherever you are in yur company, taking charge of your own development is always a good idea. And the nice thing is, you dont need an embossed invitation to a leadership training to prepare you for the next level. Here are six skills everyone can (and should) work to improve, regardless of where youre at in your career.1. MindfulnessLets say youre in a meeting with a colleague who shares a great idea that was originally yours, but he doesnt give you credit. Anyone will have that initial moment of OMG, hes stealing my idea However, a person who practices mindfulness is able to notlageice that reaction and then pause for a beat to examine the situation objectively (Maybe he forgot that was my idea) before publically correcting him in what may become an embarrassing situation t hat makes you both look bad. Mindfulness is the ability to notice your emotional response to events, without reacting to them. In stressful or high stakes situations, mindful people are able to pause for a beat and look at a whats happening impartially. You can begin today by taking an extra breath and trying to examine events from an objective point of view.2. Collaborating Across DifferencesBeing a team player has always been important, but learning the skill of collaborating across differences in our increasingly diverse world is a timeless necessity. You should strive to be someone on your staff who celebrates the full spectrum of uniqueness and difference in everyone.Organizations and teams that can collaborate and work effectively across differences like gender, race, religion, politics, and age will be the ones at the front of the pack. The first step to develop this skill is to become more aware of your unconscious biases about people who are different than you.3. Resilience Some people take feedback- and even failure- better than others. The ones who dont let hard news slow them down are resilient. Setbacks are a part of life. Its how you choose to respond to them that matters. The strongest people neither avoid feelings of failure, defeat, and rejection nor do they become paralyzed by them. When unexpected obstacles get in the way, they grieve, dust themselves off, and jump back in. So, you blew that presentation It happens. But heres a secret To become more resilient, dont feel less, feel more. Dont pretend that presentation never happened. (It wont work.) Be honest with yourself that youre upset, then focus on learning from your mistakes and moving past them. All of us have resilience, we just have to learn to use it.4. Working at Your Highest and Best UsePretty much everyones work involves tasks ranging from simple, repetitive ones that happen every day to complex ones that take months or years to complete. Focusing on the most complex, long-term t asks on your plate is the sweet spot where you produce the most value. However, you cant solely do the long-term tasks at the expense of short-term job requirements. You have to be able to do the easy daily to-dos while staying focused on the bang for the buck items where you add the most value. Balancing highest and best use with daily chores is an occupational hazard for managers who work on big, multi-year projects with budgets in the hundreds of millions (as well as the rest of us who are balancing work on something due at close of geschftliches miteinander, versus the end of the quarter). The most important thing you can do is not get lost in either one Dont neglect your inbox altogether, or alternatively, be so consumed by answering emails that you never find a chunk of time to focus on the big picture project. Find the way that you work best and can find time for both.5. EmpathyAnyone who works to improve his or her ability to be empathetic will stand out at work, with the bo nus of a happier home life. As you know, empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone elses shoes and see how it might feel to be him. Working on your emotional intelligence results in the people around you feeling seen and heard, and its is a key ingredient in developing trust with co-workers. Your co-workers dont want your sympathy. Telling someone Im sorry you feel that way usually just makes him or her more angry, but saying (and meaning), Ive been frustrated when something doesnt work as planned, and I understand why youre angry. Let me help almost always works. 6. InquiryInquiry, or learn how, is replacing expertise and know-how, in business today. The worlds hardest problems are going to be solved by curious people who can find the right questions to unlock new discoveries. Know-it-alls are a bore, but great question-askers help us grow, learn, and innovate. Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia couldnt afford to pay their rent, and they wondered how they might use additional spac e in their apartment to lodge tourists and make some money. Finding the answer resulted in the founding of Airbnb.Dont be afraid to ask questions- at work, and of yourself and your career. It will help ensure that youre always growing.Whether you want to be a CEO some day or just great at your current job, self-improvement is for everyone. Look at working on these skills as a journey with endless possibilities for growth and insight, not a destination or a box to check so you can move on to the next one. Focusing on them throughout your career will get you ready to move up and keep you working at the top of your game in your current role. Photo of hard worker courtesy of Shutterstock.