Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one.
While not totally comprehensive
, here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do.
1. Build a Fire – Fire produces heat and light, two basic necessities for living. At some point in your life this knowledge may be vital.
2. Operate a Computer – Fundamental computer knowledge is essential these days. Please, help those in need.
3. Use Google Effectively – Google knows everything. If you’re having trouble finding something with Google, it’s you that needs help.
- Google Guide
- Google Advanced Search Operators
- Google Web Search Features
- 20 Tips for More Efficient Google Searches
4. Perform CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver – Someday it may be your wife, husband, son or daughter that needs help.
- Learn CPR
- How To Perform Adult CPR (video)
- How CPR Works
- How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver (video)
5. Drive a Manual Transmission Vehicle – There will come a time when you’ll be stuck without this knowledge.
- How To Drive a Stick Shift Instructional Movie (video)
- Learn to Drive a Stick Shift
- Learn to Drive a Car with Manual Transmission
6. Do Basic Cooking – If you can’t cook your own steak and eggs, you probably aren’t going to make it.
7. Tell a Story that Captivates People’s Attention – If you can’t captivate their attention, you should probably just save your breath.
8. Win or Avoid a Fistfight – Either way, you win.
- How To Actually Win a Fistfight
- How To Win a Fistfight (video)
- How To Win a Street Fight
- How To Avoid Confrontations Like a Samurai Warrior
9. Deliver Bad News – Somebody has got to do it. Unfortunately, someday that person will be you.
- How To Deliver Bad News in Writing
- How to Deliver Bad News to a Customer
- Good Ways to Deliver Bad News
10. Change a Tire – Because tires have air in them, and things with air in them eventually pop.
11. Handle a Job Interview – I promise, sweating yourself into a nervous panic won’t land you the job.
- The 25 Most Difficult Questions in a Job Interview
- Job Interview Questions and Answers
- How to Handle Your Job Interviews Successfully
- 10 Sticky Job Interview Situations and How to Handle Them
12. Manage Time – Not doing so is called wasting time, which is okay sometimes, but not all the time.
- How To Manage Time and Maximize Effectiveness
- Managing Your Time
- 10 tips for time management in a multitasking world
- Time Management Tips and Exercises
13. Speed Read – Sometimes you just need the basic gist, and you needed it 5 minutes ago.
14. Remember Names – Do you like when someone tries to get your attention by screaming “hey you”?
15. Relocate Living Spaces – Relocating is always a little tougher than you originally imagined.
16. Travel Light – Bring only the necessities. It’s the cheaper, easier, smarter thing to do.
17. Handle the Police – Because jail isn’t fun… and neither is Bubba.
- What to Do If You’re Stopped by the Police
- How To Handle the Cops if They Knock on Your Door
- How To Handle the Police
18. Give Driving Directions – Nobody likes driving around in circles. Get this one right the first time.
- How To Give a Complete Stranger Driving Directions
- How To Give Directions
- Giving Good Driving Directions
19. Perform Basic First Aid – You don’t have to be a doctor, or genius, to properly dress a wound.
20. Swim – 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Learning to swim might be a good idea.
21. Parallel Park – Parallel parking is a requirement on most standard driver’s license driving tests, yet so many people have no clue how to do it. How could this be?
22. Recognize Personal Alcohol Limits – Otherwise you may wind up like this charming fellow.
23. Select Good Produce – Rotten fruits and vegetables can be an evil tease and an awful surprise.
- Produce Primer: Selecting the Best
- Tips on Choosing Produce and Keeping it Fresh
- Buying Fresh Vegetables
24. Handle a Hammer, Axe or Handsaw – Carpenters are not the only ones who need tools. Everyone should have a basic understanding of basic hand tools.
25. Make a Simple Budget – Being in debt is not fun. A simple budget is the key.
26. Speak at Least Two Common Languages – Only about 25% of the world’s population speaks English. It would be nice if you could communicate with at least some of the remaining 75%.
- Free Online Language Courses
- Learn a Foreign Language Online Free
- Language Learning with Rosetta Stone
27. Do Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Properly – Improper push-ups and sit-ups do nothing but hurt your body and waste your time.
- How To Do a Proper Push-Up
- Chris Comfort’s Push-Up Workout (video)
- 19 Variations for a Push-Up (video)
- How To Do Sit-Ups (video)
- How To Do an Abdominal Crunch (video)
28. Give a Compliment – It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give someone, and it’s free.
- How To Give a Good Compliment
- 5 Kick-Ass Reasons to Give a Genuine Compliment
- How To Give a Killer Compliment
- 10 Best Compliments a Man Can Give a Woman
29. Negotiate – The better deal is only a question or two away.
30. Listen Carefully to Others – The more you listen and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss.
- Tips on Effective Listening
- Listening Tips for the Classroom Environment
- Techniques for Active Listening
31. Recite Basic Geography – If you don’t know where anything is outside of your own little bubble, most people will assume (and they are probably correct) that you don’t know too much at all.
32. Paint a Room – The true cost of painting is 90% labor. For simple painting jobs it makes no sense to pay someone 9 times what it would cost you to do it yourself.
33. Make a Short, Informative Public Speech – At the next company meeting if your boss asks you to explain what you’ve been working on over the last month, a short, clear, informative response is surely your best bet. “Duhhh…” will not cut it.
- How To Conquer the Public Speaking Fear
- Better Public Speaking and Presentation
- How To Write an Informative Speech
34. Smile for the Camera – People that absolutely refuse to smile for the camera suck!
35. Flirt Without Looking Ridiculous – There is a fine line between successful flirting and utter disaster. If you try too hard, you lose. If you don’t try hard enough, you lose.
- Guide to Flirting
- Flirt Without Frightening
- The Rules of Flirtation
- The Science of Romance: Why We Flirt
36. Take Useful Notes – Because useless notes are useless, and not taking notes is a recipe for failure.
37. Be a Respectful House Guest – Otherwise you will be staying in a lot of hotels over the years.
- 10 Ways to Be and Excellent House Guest
- How To Be a Good House Guest
- Have A Pleasant Visit By Following A Few House Rules
38. Make a Good First Impression – Aristotle once said, “well begun is half done.”
- How To Make those First Impressions Count
- Making a Great First Impression
- Tips for Making a Good First Impression
39. Navigate with a Map and Compass – What happens when the GPS craps out and you’re in the middle of nowhere?
40. Sew a Button onto Clothing – It sure is cheaper than buying a new shirt.
41. Hook Up a Basic Home Theater System – This isn’t rocket science. Paying someone to do this shows sheer laziness.
42. Type – Learning to type could save you days worth of time over the course of your lifetime.
- Online Typing Lessons for Everyone
- Free Typing Lessons for the Standard QWERTY Keyboard
- Free Touch Typing Program
43. Protect Personal Identity Information – Personal identity theft is not fun unless you are the thief. Don’t be careless.
44. Implement Basic Computer Security Best Practices – You don’t have to be a computer science major to understand the fundamentals of creating complex passwords and using firewalls. Doing so will surely save you a lot of grief someday.
- 4 Steps to Protect Your Computer
- Security Basics for Home Computers
- SANS Basic Computer Security Whitepapers
45. Detect a Lie – People will lie to you. It’s a sad fact of life.
46. End a Date Politely Without Making Promises – There is no excuse for making promises you do not intend to keep. There is also no reason why you should have to make a decision on the spot about someone you hardly know.
47. Remove a Stain – Once again, it’s far cheaper than buying a new one.
48. Keep a Clean House – A clean house is the foundation for a clean, organized lifestyle.
- The Keep-It-Clean Plan
- Keeping a Stress-Free, Clean House
- How To Keep Your House Clean in 20 Minutes a Day
49. Hold a Baby – Trust me, injuring a baby is not what you want to do.
50. Jump Start a Car – It sure beats walking or paying for a tow truck.
Check out these books for more ideas on pertinent life skills:
Adam says
great list.. but how about ‘basic firearm safety’, ‘basic hunting/butchering’ and ‘learn to operate at least one motorized vehicle that is not an automobile’
waypasthadenough says
Sorry if this is a repeat. Meant to post this last night but I think I forgot. This inspired me to write a column that unfortunately many will not understand:
Someone sent me an link to an interesting article: ‘50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do.’
There are lots of useful things for the sheeple to learn listed. Several I should probably brush up on myself. But they left out some of the most important skills that most sheeple definitely are lacking:
Why not ‘How to fire a hand held weapon,’ specifically a firearm? Every child should be taught how to handle a gun(rifle, shotgun, handgun), and how to hit what they shoot at, in stressful situations, for when common criminals and “Liberals” threaten their property and Liberty. Every high school graduate should be required to demonstrate they can hit a running “Liberal” at 300 meters.
To read the rest go here:
http://www.willowtown.com/promo/blogclmnessentialskills.htm
Dave Eaves says
In view of the economic climate and job uncertainty I would put also put starting and running your own business on the list!
Thanks,
Dave.
Percival J. Meris says
Very interesting post. Very easy reading, too. Straight to the point. Not much explanations, because tips are self-explanatory. Provides options to dig deeper into a particular tip with the accompanying recommended links.
Thanks for sharing this very informative and practical article.
Misty Funk says
Great list! Thanks for sharing!
Scottie Habermehl says
Thanks for the awesome post!!!
Ret says
Thanks Marc for sharing the list. They are really a comprehensive list of how to do every things. But how about something very basic and vital. That is… how to love truly?
Mussab says
i like this list , i believe you should add, how not to get played by others.and how to increase confidence
Daily Success Place says
50 things everybody should know how to do!
I like the list. It has many great insights.
You could also add:
How to think correctly about fear
Raj says
thanks a lot for these links..your website had a great impact on my life.
Morne says
So what do you do once you have done all these things and still have a lot of living to do. Agree fire a gun should be added. Maybe climb a waterfall, climb a tree, love unconditionally.
Tina says
A long list to accomplish, but a great one. I especially like the learning how to give a compliment. Everyone likes to receive one of those, so job well done.
Martin says
Heh, cool list! All you need to know for successful living – Love it!
Only thing missing is: Meditate (or relax, for the cynics 🙂
-Martin
shameel says
this list is cool. most of the things in this list are covered in boy scouting also instead of CPR i guess it will be better to be first aid.
Alec says
A whole lot of the items on this list are covered as a Boy Scout. I’m good to go!
paul says
this is a great list, i am going to use this list untill i pass away!
Sam says
Great list. Good job on the part about delivering bad news. It’s hard but someone has to do it. If you do it well the person you are giving it to will appreciate your tact.
rahul says
gr8 simply very helpful for all
a really motivational package
Monte says
Nice list. The first link for #7 (how to tell a great story) really doesn’t tell you how to actually do so… The article pertains more to marketing a story. Do you have any other resources?
Nathan says
Since first finding this post some time back, I seem to keep coming back to it just to check up. They are very helpful
Thank you very much
Commenter says
Great list. Help’s a lot when you don’t know what to do next…
Hayley says
Someone has probably already mentioned this but these are the skills I didn’t see that I have on my personal list: how to tie at least a couple of useful knots, how to shoot a gun, how to make a basic electrical circuit, how to catch a fish without a fishing rod (or with, if you want to make it easier), and how to sail a boat. I also think it is good to have the fitness to run 2km without stopping.
pahita says
how to make a basic electrical circuit, how to catch a fish without a fishing rod (or with, if you want to make it easier), and how to sail a boat. I also think it is good to have the fitness to run 2km without stopping wewannawatch.com
Slips and trips Toronto says
everyone should have some idea of what to do if someone is bleeding, which means knowing about the different types of cuts and then what to do about each. They should know that regardless of the type of cut, the objective is to stop the bleeding, because bleeding is always a bad thing. They should be able to spot the difference between superficial cuts and deep arterial bleeding for example and what to do for each. They should also know what to do with puncture wounds and wounds that cover very large areas of the skin. Knowing this kind of stuff might very well mean the difference between being able to help someone and watching them die.
Everyone should also know what to do if someone is in shock due, regardless of cause. This is because shock victims can quite often develop other conditions that can very quickly become life threatening.
Ruth says
I sure hope you never have to recover from a natural disaster with these 50 things. I would learn how to preserve food, how to find or build shelter and how to purify water. How to flirt, type or use a computer are absolutely useless when your life is on the line. Of course, that’s just me. I’m old school and really pity all the electronic junkies that must have their cell phone with them at all times.
wendell says
Wow, this list is great! There are so much things that I really need to learn how to do, but just not doing them. It is time for me to stop procrastinating and give the list a try.
maza says
Start a conversation is pretty fundamental yet the amount of people that don’t how to do this most basic of tasks is frightening.
aj says
A very nice idea for a list… and every point is quite useful. 🙂
Thanks.
Liz says
This is such a wonderful list! I’ve saved it, just so that I can check the few things I have yet to learn off the list. :]
jerri Hobbes says
This isn’t just one article it’s 50 articles! Great stuff.
serin paul says
A must know list… and the truth is that most of us don’t know enough. Thank you for giving the wake up call.
eng.khalidhosni says
how to find or build shelter and how to purify water would be a good addition.
Rag says
Hello. It took me over a month, but I finally checked off all 50 things! I’m so happy.
Terrific tutorial!
Billy says
Thanks for sharing such an interesting and educational post.
mike torrance says
I have only just got back into my old gmail account and noticed that I had bookmarked this post in Reader in 2009! I am proud to say that I have ‘ticked’ off 21 (similar things) on the list and I will defo tick off the rest by the end of this year.
Phaux says
Very nice list, the only things I think was missing was measuring a room(my best friend’s wife has no idea how) and sewing, not just a button, but how to mend clothing or other items and make your own stuff. Possibly add measuring a body to make clothing.
Rachel says
Not just hold a baby, you should know how to change a diaper as well. And hook in a carseat.
claudia says
You are awesome!! This post is so useful!
Ellie says
Not only is this post helpful, but i have found myself book-marking almost ALL you links. I am truly inspired by your entire website (thank God for StumbleUpon). Not only have I grown mentally from everything your sight offers, but I continuously find more info, read, and reread. From job interviewing to your “must read” list i have taken bits from each and tied it all together. Thank you
Hijratullah says
Excellent list of useful skills for managing a successful life. Thanks.
Caroline says
Excellent list! Thank you!
MR P says
Good stuff here. I like the lists. 🙂 People should know a lot of these things.
zhucaihui says
This is the 7th time that I re-read this article. The info here is truly helpful, thank you very much for putting this list together!
kausar says
You are just amazing! Thank you for providing this educational pool of knowledge.
Farrah says
I have to agree with each and every thing you wrote here! These are the basic things everyone should know! Thank you for posting this! 🙂
Jesse J. Pass says
Marc, such a nice article you have here. Simple ideas yet very informative and useful. The “HOWs” are just enlightening. Thanks!
sheila says
These tips and how-to links are incredible! Thank you so much Marc.
Barbie says
Great list! I would also add ( if not already posted )…..basic spelling and English grammar useage. Too (or is it “to” or “two”?!!) many people today are lazy, or seriously do not know (“no”) how to spell.
Jean | Delightful Repast says
Excellent list! Number 6 is my bailiwick, and I’d like to add that knowing how to cook, besides being part of being able to take care of oneself, is a key to happy family life. I am a huge believer in the power of the family dinner!
Kenny says
I love it! Such useful ideas and links.