Ideally, you want to learn skills for the sake of widening your knowledge base, but skills don’t exist in a vacuum. With the right approach, learned skills won’t just grow your mind, they’ll grow your reputation and demonstrate your approach to the world. Whether taking a long-term commitment to understanding something new or just taking a few hours to pick something up, the following skills could be just what you need.
Cooking
Never needing to cook can be a look some people enjoy, but much more impressive is the man who has an understanding of the culinary arts. Rather than being the type of person who doesn’t even know how to use an oven, knowing your way around the kitchen is undoubtedly cool. Even if you only study a couple of key dishes to show off, expanding your character with cooking is a great way to make a mark.
If you have a favorite dish already, then consider looking up how a pro would make it. YouTube videos are great for this and can set you down a rabbit hole you’ll be glad you fell into. We’d also recommend you spend some time studying the most important cooking terms, so you can participate in cooking discussions even if you’re not too experienced with the specifics.
Learn how to Entertain
No matter who you are, being a host can be complicated and stressful. Sometimes this can be accidental too, like if you’re unexpectedly in a position where somebody needs to lead a good time. To this end, having a few skills in your back pocket to keep people entertained can be a solid and safe idea.
A great bet if you’re spending time with the guys is to work with what you have to create a game. Cards are a common and simple thing to get your hands on, so learning how to be a casino croupier is a good starting position. Whether learning through actual work as a croupier or practicing to get your personal functional license from the Gambling Commission, having a basis here to fall back on is a great way to bring life to a party.
Learn another Language
As Charlemagne potentially but didn’t definitely say: “To have another language is to possess a second soul”. However accurate this attribution is, there’s truth to the idea that learning to speak another tongue will expand your horizons as a person.
Learning another language isn’t just a great way to demonstrate knowledge and a worldly nature either. This helps you appreciate new cultures, understand more about the human condition, and lets you communicate with those who would otherwise be separated by an insurmountable barrier. Nothing impresses like learning another language and holding it a secret, only to drop it when necessary with people who have known you for years.
Life is an eternal process of self-improvement, and in this, your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Picking up a wide array of skills as you grow can aid you directly and indirectly, in helping you grow and showing how far you’ve come. It’s never too late to start, and even with just a small amount of effort each day, progress eventually adds up to something great. So, what do you want to look back and see a year from now?