There are skills you need to make the most out of life. There are things you are so good at that set you apart from others and would only manifest in the face of challenges of life. These are skills. It takes skills to succeed and success takes action. To take appropriate actions to succeed, you need skills.

Certain skills are specific to each field and are more or less relevant to individuals depending on which of the skills the individual prioritizes at particular points in his life due to culture, beliefs, age and life's circumstances. However, my concern here is with the skills that translate across disciplines and are needed for maximum achievement.

Broadly speaking, it could be very difficult to go through life if you have not mastered some skills. Skills can serve as powerful lubricants, helping you overcome the myriad of challenges life offers.

What is a Skill?

A skill is a set of knowledge and experiences needed to perform a task. It is the ability to do something well. To make the most out of life, there are certain life skills you should develop that would help you accomplish the myriads of tasks you will encounter through life.

Below are the top 10+ skills you should master:
1. Effective Communication Skill

Life is about communication. If you must connect effectively with others and to complete a task, you need to be able to communicate. Communication is essential for relationships to be sustained. Every individual needs to develop the skills of writing, speaking and listening to be able to work with others and accomplish a task. effective communication will help you in decision making and problem solving.

2. Empathy

Empathy is a core component of emotional intelligence. It is the ability to understand and share in the feelings of others. Everyone goes through hard times in life at one point or the other. You need to understand yourself and be able to feel for others when they go through their moments of difficulty as if their experiences were happening to you.

You should be able to acknowledge their pains, share how you feel, show interest in their situation, encourage and be supportive. You should be able to help them come out of the hard time and let them see that they cannot be consumed by the difficulties/challenges.

With empathy, you will not only be able to build social connections with others, you will also learn to regulate your own emotions.

3. Self Control

There is need to remain calm in the face of provocative situations. This does not come automatic, it is an important skill that you must diligently develop and master. Self control will make you stand for yourself and other people.

Self control is an indispensable skill you need for increase your decision making capacity, curtail impulsive behaviors, improve focus and increase your chances of success.

4. Coping with Emotions

You need to know how to consciously use emotional expressions to better deal with stressful situations. You need to master how to express emotions in positive ways without causing any harm to others.

Negative emotions like fear, frustration, stress and anger are basic parts of life but responding to them as they appear wouldn't often fix the situation but instead, could lead to more problems to deal with. Learning to deal with negative situations in positive ways is an important skill you need to master which would ultimately enhance your decision making and problem solving.

5. Stress Management

Effective stress management skill helps you break the hold stress has on your life. With proper stress management, you can live happier, healthier and be more productive.

If not properly managed, stress can cause you some serious damages. Stress can both destabilize your emotional balance and physical health. Stress has become one of the most serious health challenges of the 21st century and is implicated in several health conditions.

6. Creativity and Innovation

In the 21st century where the world is glamouring for entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation skill is one crucial skill you need to master. You need to be able to turn your imaginative ideas into reality with passion and commitment. Creativity and innovation has been identified as essential skills for 21st century; both skills can promote your potentials by eliciting your positive aspects.

7. Leadership and management Skills

Every individual is a leader in his/her way and you need to master management skills for effective leadership. You need to grow to be responsible for the accomplishment of goals. You need to master the right approaches to respond to tasks, individuals and be able to harness the available resources effectively in accomplishment of tasks.

You need to know how to strategize and shape the overall direction of a course. You need to master the ways to challenge the norms and tackle the issues of life, and be able to get the tasks done on your own with little or no supervision.

8. Time Management

Time management is a skill that is needed in all spheres of life. Goals set can only be met with effective time management. You need to be able to prioritize your schedule, organize yourself, set your goals and plan accordingly.

Since you don't always have all the time to get a task done, you must first identify those tasks that are more pressing and get them done first. Effective time management can help you  accomplish so much with little effort, improve your decision making ability and reduces stress. With effective time management, you will become more successful in what you do.

9. Decision Making

Every day, we are faced with a lot of decisions to make, ranging from trivial issues like what to wear for the day, up to the life-changing decisions like who to marry, where to live and what to study. Decisions keep starring at our faces and we will have to choose between two or more courses of action. Thus, decision making is an undeniable part of our everyday lives

Lots of time and money could be saved with effective decision making. Effective decision making can also give you a huge sense of achievement and fulfillment. It is an indispensable skill you must master.

10. Relationship building

Relationships you build can be the ladder you need for your success and achievement. Building and maintaining a healthy interpersonal relationship will further improve your current skills. You ultimately are not going to do life alone. If you must succeed and attain your set goals, there is need for you to connect with others by building a healthy interpersonal relationship with them.

In the work place, you need relationship building skills to get along with your colleagues. There can be no strong work relationship without effective interpersonal skills. There is a positive correlation between your interpersonal relationship and work output.

11. Problem Solving Skill

Rather than running away from obstacles and situations, you need to stand bold enough to resolve them. Problem solving skills are traits you must master to be able to assess situations and calmly identify solutions to them.

Problem solving skill is important to both employers/employees and leaders at all levels, including homes. You need to master the art of analyzing the situations, generating possible solutions, evaluating the best solutions, implementing the solution and assessing the effectiveness of the solution.

Source:https://egscholars.com/2020/05/31/top-10-essential-skills-you-should-develop-and-master/