12 Skills To Make Us Smarter

Whether you are bored with your monotonous life or your creative mind is not at peace, learning a new skill is always a good option.  Not only does it make you sharper and talented, but keeps you engaged as well. So, here is the list of 12 skills that I have jotted down for you to add magic to your life.

1.    Learning a new language

There are 7 billion plus people, thousands of cultures, innumerable perspectives and unbounded history. And we have just one lifetime to get to know all that we want to know. Learning a language is one of the most enchanting ways to get to know and connect with a culture different than ours. Moreover, imagine the sense of accomplishment and joy when speaking to someone in their native language.

Learning a language boosts your  multitasking capabilities and improves memory. Furthermore, it can help improve problem-solving, critical thinking and learning capabilities. Apart from all the cognitive benefits, gaining the ability to speak another language produces a sense of confidence in oneself.

2.    Meditation

Meditation is powerful. It has been scientifically proven that  it has helped a large number of people in controlling anxiety and enhancing self-awareness. Learning the art of staying calm and harnessing your mind’s power to it’s maximum potential is the ultimate self mastery we can hope for, isn’t it?

Meditation is the act of being mindful; it’s about gaining healthy insight and perspective about surroundings without judgment by being calm. There are many forms of meditation to choose from; a person can conveniently mix and match the forms to target certain aspects of life.

3.  Playing a musical instrument

Music is for soul what food is for body. I don’t know if I made this up or remember it from somewhere but I can vouch for it.

Learning to play a musical instrument is a  great skill to master as it never really goes out of style. How cool is it to be able to play your favorite songs and compose music for your favorite people. And it’s not even difficult to learn the musical instrument of your choice; you can easily find many tutorials on YouTube.

Learning a musical instrument makes you smarter by stimulating the brain resulting in improved memory and better reasoning skills. Moreover, it also relieves stress.  So, don’t wait, grab your favorite instrument and hit the chords.

4. Photography

I went to Italy with a few classmates out of which one guy was a “photographer” and owned a DSLR. I couldn’t stop myself from mocking him because to be frank his pictures were ridiculous and his psuedo photography skills were kind of sham. He was still learning, and his pictures where badly angled and didn’t make sense. But now when I go through the pictures time and again, they seem less ridiculous every time. Probably it’s the associated memories or the fact that his point of view have started making sense. (Though I would still say he was not a good photographer back then. Thousands pictures down, he understands photography now)

Learning photography does not entail a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. You just need to work your way through the art of perfect angles to capture a story you want to tell.

Being good at photography helps you in many ways, from capturing a good moment in your life to being creative. What a skill it is, to be able to capture the brilliance of a moment in a frame that will stay with you forever. A good thing about photography is that it fits in your life; you don’t need a perfect timing for it. It helps you create a better understanding of the world around you and ultimately making you thankful for it.

So, if photography has been in your to-do list for some time, I hope this helps you and makes your inner photographer a little more motivated.

5. Writing

In the whole list of these skills, writing is one of the more crucial ones. And I am not sure if any of us can do away with being  bad writers in this day and age. There’s communication, a lot of it, in all kinds of professions.

Writing is a skill and there are nuances to good writing. The only shortcut to becoming a good writer is to keep writing and learning from our own mistakes.

Being a good writer helps us be more articulate,  give structure to our thoughts and be more assertive.

6. Dancing

There is nothing more liberating than being able to dance like no one is watching. And it just adds to the experience when you know you can dance well.

Dancing tones the body and rejuvenates the mind. And there are very few activities that can do both.  It is a way to channelize energy, that is hidden somewhere inside, into your life and at the same time release inhibitions that are stopping you from being the best version of your self. Dancing makes way for more confidence, vigor, energy and vitality into your system.

So trick yourself out of being lazy, and enroll yourself to your nearest dance school?

7. Painting

Isn’t poetry silent painting and painting silent poetry?

There is beauty in the minds of artists who can draw magic on paper. Drawing and painting are one of those skills that take years to master, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue it as your leisure time activity.

Since it is a very broad skill, it is really easy to get into. One can easily pursue any form of painting and drawing according to the interest and learn through free online lessons available all over the internet.

8. Pottery

Pottery is an art of making ornaments out of clay. It has existed in the world for thousands of centuries, and is still a great skill to acquire.

Pottery as a skill  is not one of the first preferences of most people. However, it is one of those unique skills that is capable of impacting our lives in a short span of time. It allows us to explore and experiment, make wrong choices, learn patience and analyse outcomes. This skill entails a huge sense of accomplishment. It demands a lot of concentration and hence makes us a more focused in life. It opens the doors to increased creativity and a better sense of structure and symmetry.

Let’s give pottery a try?

9. Home Gardening

How fulfilling it is to see the seeds you had sown and taken care of sprout lives that grow into leaves and fruits and more seeds. It’s magical. The ones who love plants and greenery, appreciate the skill of being able to maintain a personal garden.

Gardening allows you to take a break from all encompassing technology. It brings you closer to what is real.

I know gardening is tricky and the manual work required makes it a bit out of reach but it is one of those skills that leads to overall well being of mind, body and soul.

So take out your gardening tools and get ready to play in the dirt.

10. Self-Defense

When I think of self defense, I am reminded of Krav Maga skills of Jessica in the movie The Debt. Its fascinating (and ahem..sexy) to be able to have that level of sharpness of instincts and awareness about your surroundings. That agility and strength, good lord.

There is a range of art forms for self defence like karate, kick boxing, taekwondo to name a few. One can choose based on one’s interests and body type. For this skill, you need a proper training Centre where you can practice and get good at it.

For obvious reasons, everyone needs to learn this skill as a basic necessity. Furthermore, training in self-defense brings a sense of self-esteem and helps in overcoming fear.

11. Cooking

Cooking is like dancing. Using the same ingredients, different people will conjure different taste. It’s an art form which requires some aptitude, some patience and a lot of consistency.

It is one skill to ensure a good health, save your hard earned money and keep your creativity rolling. Whether you are a starter or a pro, there’s always a lot to try out and learn. With gamut of cooking recipes sprawled all over the internet, it is very convenient skill to have. Plus food is a basic necessity, and you don’t have to fear about the skill being too mainstream and old.

So put on an apron, find a recipe that belongs to another part of the world, put on some music, pour some red wine for yourself and have fun preparing a special supper for tonight.

12. Acquiring First Aid Skills

Having first aid skills, IMO, is empowering. Ever thought of a scenario where you got injured and there is no one at home? Acquiring this skill is the epitome of self sufficiency.

Every person in the world must at least have basic first aid skills. First aid skill can come handy at critical times, and can even save someone’s life.

Well of course, there are different levels of first aid skills, from basic bandaging to resuscitating and curing insect bites. You can decide how much you wish to learn.
It is one life saver skill to know and plays a great role in every individual’s life.

That’s about it. Are you already learning any of these skills? Or do you think there’s an interesting skill that I missed out on. Please comment. If you liked this list of top 12 skills to learn, please like share and subscribe.

P.S. I am trying my hands on gardening. I recently planted cilantro and mint.

Keep Reading. Chao!