7 Undervalued Skills We Often Overlook

Last Updated on October 26, 2022

There are so many underrated and undervalued skills that we need to learn and relearn to thrive in the present world.

While I have already managed to write several articles regarding adulting skills that everyone should know, there are still more.

Many skills are often overlooked and can help us improve our personal and professional lives. Here are seven:

1. Collaboration

One of the most undervalued skills to learn today is collaboration.

In our ever-connected world, it is now almost impossible to do things solely on our own. In fact, collaboration is already included in the P21 Framework of 21st-century learning.

With globalization, effectively collaborating with a diverse team opens more opportunities. People now realize that it is difficult to do things on your own and that you have limitations.

Through collaboration, we can focus on our strengths and let other people’s strengths complement our weaknesses.

2. Googling

Googling is more than just a special skill. It is also an underrated skill to learn.

More than ever, typing the right keywords on your search bar can make the difference between finding what you’re looking for on the Internet or endlessly scrolling through irrelevant topics.

For example, suppose you suddenly become a programmer and need help figuring out what to do. In that case, googling skills can be beneficial since there are already so many resources available on the Internet.

Just verify your sources before opening an article to avoid falling into the fake news trap.

3. Fact-checking

People can now post anything about everything on social media in the current age of information (and disinformation). So, fact-checking is a great advantage.

Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media sites are now plagued by unverified or malicious information about health, politics, etc.

Through fact-checking, you’ll know whether your reading is authentic or simply propaganda. Immediate identification of false information can help slow down or limit its circulation.

4. Growth Mindset

Moving outside your comfort zone is also a critical skill in our ever-changing society. It is essential to have an open mind and be more accepting to change.

A growth mindset frees us to explore more aspects of life. It also allows us to believe that we have options to change our lives and our future while accepting the things we can’t control.

It also gives us the right attitude that we can improve our abilities through hard work, dedication, and discipline.

5. Post-School Studying Skills

Studying is more important today than when we are in school. As students, we were forced to study subjects that didn’t make sense simply because they were part of the curriculum.

But now, continuous studying and upskilling are required since technology, information, and skills are quickly changing in a phase that educational institutions can no longer keep up with.

It is vital to develop a learning habit and a love for continuous personal education if you want to be in front of your group. What you know or don’t know will significantly impact your future.

Adults need study skills to learn or relearn: note-taking, reading comprehension, focused reading, and honest personal assessment.

6. Prioritization

We all have many things we want to do, yet we only have such limited time. That is why the ability to prioritize tasks depending on their impact and urgency is crucial if we’re going to be more productive.

We often trap ourselves in an endless cycle of doing low-impact, low-urgency tasks because we want to feel good about ourselves.

Okay, doing the simplest stuff on our to-do list is better than doing nothing. Still, if we continue that trajectory, we will not finish or even start at our most ambitious goals.

Prioritization and focus should always go hand-in-hand.

7. Slowing Things Down

The world is moving so fast now. People are also moving into an unsustainable phase to the point when they start to burn out.

With the advent of the ‘instant’ culture, online shopping, and social media, it is understandable that people have become accustomed to the fastest and easiest way possible.

So slowing things down is crucial to having a balanced life. We all have limited hours in a day, and we feel like we have to finish every single thing on our plate, but that may slowly take away our burning passion.

Learn to rest, enjoy the moment, and move at a slower phase because work and tasks will never end. Just make sure that you still prioritize your urgent tasks.

Related: Why are we in such a hurry?

Final Thought:

I have already written 30 adulting skills that are important to learn. But knowing them is only one side of the coin. The other side is to practice and implement them in our lives continually.

We need to be more observant and watch how things change before us. We need to maximize the power of the Internet and learn as much as we can. But most importantly, we need to have the heart to care for a purpose larger than ourselves.

Continue to improve yourself. You can do it!

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