It’s never easy dealing with life’s problems and many people will tell you about the big skills like being patient or knowing how to change a tire. However, there’s a whole world of secret skills out there that can help. Here are 13 of these skills. With these, you’ll thrive in any situation, whether that’s a bad day at work or planning your future.
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Emotional Granularity
Emotional granularity involves getting specific about what you’re feeling. Instead of just a general emotion, you pinpoint it down to “nostalgic,” “anxious,” or “elated.” Why does this matter? Because knowing exactly what’s going on with your emotions helps you figure out what to do about it. A clear mind means a clear plan.
Strategic Procrastination
Procrastination doesn’t always have to be the enemy. Sometimes, waiting until the last minute can actually work in your favor and you just have to use that time to think things over—or wait for a situation to change. Just remember, it’s strategic procrastination. It’s not an excuse to binge-watch your favorite show instead of doing what needs to be done!
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Cognitive Flexibility
Cognitive flexibility involves your brain’s ability to jump between different ideas or think about multiple things at once. Really, it doesn’t matter if you’re solving a problem at work or trying to figure out the best route to take on a road trip. Being able to quickly change gears in your head helps you discover some rather incredible solutions.
Mental Framing
Life’s a lot about perspective and how you frame a situation in your mind can totally change your game. Instead of thinking of challenges as dead-ends, you should see them as opportunities. Essentially, mental framing means adjusting your mindset so you’ll face the world with a bit more pep in your step.
Intuitive Eating
Forget about the latest diet fads because intuitive eating involves listening to your body. As such, you should eat when you’re hungry—then stop when you’re full. You also don’t label foods as “good” or “bad.” It’s a healthier & happier way to eat that doesn’t involve counting every calorie, which should make you feel happier, too.
Self-Compassion
Be your own cheerleader, rather than your own worst critic. Self-compassionate people treat themselves with kindness & understanding, especially when things don’t go as planned. They give themselves a break. Better yet, they recognize that everyone messes up sometimes—and that’s okay. You need this skill to bounce back.
Negotiation in Personal Relationships
Despite what you might’ve heard, negotiation isn’t just for business deals. Whether it’s deciding what movie to watch or who does the dishes, knowing how to negotiate in personal relationships will create happier outcomes for everyone involved. You have to find that win-win which makes everybody satisfied.
Constructive Disagreement
Disagreeing doesn’t have to mean falling out because constructive disagreement centers around sharing your point of view without turning it into a full-blown argument. Isn’t that a revolutionary idea? It’s a way to learn from each other & come up with solutions that might not have been obvious at first.
Emotional Decoupling
Whenever someone’s bad mood ruins your day, emotional decoupling is your way out. This involves not letting someone else’s grumpiness or snarky comments mess with your emotions. As you might expect, it’s rather useful for keeping your cool. You’ll be a lot more relaxed in situations that used to drive you up the wall.
Navigating Uncertainty
Life never gives us a clear map and that’s where getting good at dealing with uncertainty comes in. You have to keep your head on straight—even when you’re not sure what’s around the corner. Trust your gut! Better yet, be prepared to switch gears and stay positive while you do it. It’s especially important to behave this way when things get crazy.
Precision Questioning
Asking the right question at just the right time really gets to the bottom of things—that’s precision questioning. Instead of throwing any questions out there, you ask the smart ones that cut right to the heart of the issue. You’ll find that this will help you solve problems and learn new things far more easily. You’ll even understand people better!
Nurturing Intellectual Humility
Knowing you don’t know everything is important. Intellectual humility involves being okay with admitting when you’re out of your depth and being open to learning from others. Never be too proud to say “I don’t know” or change your mind after receiving new information. People find it easier to connect with you and share ideas when you admit your flaws!
Practicing Strategic Ignorance
Choosing what to tune out these days is a skill in itself. Strategic ignorance means deciding what you’re not going to let into your headspace so you can focus on what really matters. That doesn’t mean you have to be clueless. Rather, you’re being smart with your attention. Avoiding the things that don’t help you move forward helps you concentrate on the things that do. You’re much more effective in the long run.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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