If there’s one thing I could tell someone that is younger than me, it’s to learn any skills you can. I was blessed to have a mother that made sure I knew how to do most anything in the house. She taught me how to clean, sew, cook, iron, fold clothes, and bake, just to name a few big ones. These skills have proven invaluable and have assisted me in getting at least one high paying job and taught me skills that are transferable to my personal life as well as my professional life.
Never underestimate the value of learning a skill no matter how menial it may seem. Some people may not have someone to teach them skills such as my mother was able to teach me but there may be someone in your life that can teach you other skills. If there is something that you can learn from someone around you, do it, it will be of value to you. You may not see how the skill will be used at this moment but you never know where down the road you may need that skill or the principles that each skill teaches you.
Some of the menial tasks which I mentioned are skills that I’ve seen individuals with the opportunity to learn, shy away from or not take the time. I view that as a huge mistake, those household jobs that people didn’t take time to learn when they had the opportunity are things that you can use for your whole life. I’ve used all of the skills I mentioned except for sewing, during a paid position.
If there is a skill you have the opportunity to learn, don’t discount it. I’ve always learned all I could at the jobs I’ve been at and I could tell you story after story of how it has solidified my job and gained me reward and responsibility. Work hard, spot opportunities to learn and then the seize them.