Seven life skills every grown-ass man needs to learn
What truly defines a man? Money? Power? We say independence. These seven life skills are what separates the men from the boys.
What does it mean to be a man in today’s context? To some, it means having the physical strength to lift a car while to others, a man is defined by the number of zeros in his bank account.
Whether you’re as strong as the Hulk or as rich as Tony Stark, one thing is for sure. Every adult male should be able to look after himself without having to rely on anyone else. With that said, here are seven life skills every grown-ass man needs to learn in order to be independent.
- Change a tyre
You knew this was coming. Every other blog has mentioned it and so will we. Imagine you’re driving along in the middle of the night. Something pops. Your steering goes wonky. You pull over to the side of the road and see your tyre in the same condition as a used condom. What do you do?
You could call a tow truck, but that would cost quite a sum and you’d have to wait a while for help to arrive. Why not do it yourself? All you’ll need is a tyre iron, car jack and little bit of elbow grease, and you’ll be up and running in no time.
- Drive a manual
Speaking of cars, driving a cushy European car with massage seats is all fine and dandy. But what happens if you’re stuck with a hunk of junk that has three pedals instead of two?
“But, most cars these days are auto, my chances of driving a manual are slim to none,” you say. That may be true but there are many cars, as well as vans and lorries, that still require a clutch pedal. Learning to drive a manual, especially in less-developed countries, is not only a practical life skill but also a pretty fun one at that.
- Read a map
Now that you’ve learnt to drive a stick, it’s also probably a good idea to learn how to read a map that can’t tell you where to “Turn left in 200m”. It’s surprising how many folks still manage to get lost even with the help of turn-by-turn directions.
No, you don’t have to go back to Geography class and read a terrain matrix. What you need to be able to do, however, is figure out where you are in relation to the map. Start by looking out for roads and landmarks that correspond to what you see on your map, figure out which direction you’re facing and work your way from there. It might take some practice but you’ll be glad you picked up this skill, especially if you find yourself in a tourist destination full of dodgy drivers looking for a quick buck.
- Pull your own weight around the house
How long are you going to rely on mum to wash your stinky socks? Doing the laundry is simpler than you’d think. Separate your lights from darks and don’t go overboard with the detergent. After that, fresh-smelling underwear is only a few button presses away.
House chores don’t just extend to doing the laundry, though. Learning to iron your creasy shirts, using the vacuum cleaner and mop, and washing the toilet not only builds up your self-reliance, but also takes some of the stress off your parents.
- Prepare a meal that isn’t instant noodles
Do you know the difference between a microwave oven and a toaster? Do you know how to cook rice? Do you even know how to boil water? If you do, fantastic. If you don’t, you may want to pick up a few simple-to-prepare recipes. There will come a time when your only option is to cook and you’ll be thankful you learnt how to.
You don’t have to be Gordon Ramsey, all you’ll need is to be able to whip up a few recipes good enough for your taste buds. Don’t keep relying on deliveries, takeaways or your personal chef, also known as mum.
- Manage your personal finances
Stop blowing all your money on booze, vacations and fancy gadgets the minute you get paid. Boys do that. You’re not a boy. You’re a full-grown man. There isn’t a hard and fast rule on how much money you should save monthly but you do need to have emergency funds for, well, emergencies.
Plan out a monthly budget and set aside money for high-priority items such as bills, contributions to your parents and daily necessities like food and transport costs. Once you’ve covered those bases, feel free to splurge a little; without maxing out your credit cards, of course.
- Tie a tie
Clothes maketh the man. Or so they say. Interviews, weddings, work events and fancy dinner dates may require you to dress to impress. And what’s a sharp-looking suit without a sharp-looking tie? Granted, not every outfit calls for a tie but it definitely ups your game in the style department. A simple yet classic knot is the Windsor. It’s nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
Let’s face it, you can probably pay someone to do most of these things for you. But what kind of life would you live if you had to rely on someone else to do everything for you? Master these seven life skills and we guarantee you’ll start growing hair on your chest like a real man. Well, not really. But you get the idea.