There are those quintessential skills that we can all agree every human should have, including wilderness and survival skills. However, in this day and age, there are another set of skills we should acquire in addition to basic survival skills. Don’t underestimate the importance of being prepared for an emergency. In this list you will find all the skills you need to be self reliant in our information era, as well as emergency related skills.  Here’s 30 things everyone need to know how to do.
1. You should know how to start a fire without matches.
You never know when this might come in handy- a fire is one of the most important elements for survival for a human being- providing warmth, light, and energy.
2. You should know basic survival skills.
Should you ever be stranded in a forest or forced to survive outside, you’d want to know the best places to get water, what you can and cannot eat in the wild, where to build a makeshift bed, how to catch a fish, how to correctly cross a river, how to keep your core body temperature high… and much more. Get a survival guide and begin learning.
3. You should know how to grow your own vegetables.
Even if you live in a city, you should make an effort to learn to grow your own food- including all kinds of vegetables, herbs and fruits. It takes a lot of skill, experience and time to make these plants yield valuable output- so if you’re interested in learning this- don’t waste another minute. You might need this skill one day.
4. You should know how to swim.
If you don’t know how to swim yet, you need to seriously consider learning. There are a number of emergency situations where you might need to swim in order to survive or help someone else in the water.
5. You should know how to change a tire.
It’s possible you get a flat while on a trip one day, with no access to a car repair place; perhaps even stranded in the middle of nowhere. What if no one on this trip knew how to change the tire?  Changing a tire is something you can learn how to do in a matter of minutes that could save you lots of time and headaches on your next road trip.
6. You should know how to code.
Not knowing how to program will soon become synonymous to being illiterate. It doesn’t seem this way yet, but this age is coming. If you don’t know how to program, you’re merely consuming the whole world around you, which is programmed. It’s important to know how to navigate this new world by being able to tell the computer what to do. If you want to start empowering yourself, here are some resources.
7. You should know how to build a website.
Another issue of basic technological literacy. Everyone should have a website- whether it’s personal or for a business. If you don’t know the basics of building a website, you have to hire someone or buy a template. You are going to benefit a great deal from learning. It’s also a great way to earn side income.
8. You should know how to think critically and question the status quo.
With all this information at our fingertips, now more than ever, we need to be able to think for ourselves, question the current way of doing things, and be critical of all forms of media, government and education.
9. You should know how to cook an egg (correctly!)
Too many people are ruining breakfast by mucking this up. C’mon people- it’s time to learn the right way of doing this. Runny or under cooked eggs are not only bad for your taste buds, but it could also increase your chances of getting salmonella.
10. You should know how to manage your time.
Time management is a precise art and science, and if you haven’t studied it yet, you should. Applying these principles of time management to your life can get you back precious hours you didn’t know you had, and completely eliminate much of your productivity destroying behavior.
11. You should know how to dress properly.
First impressions are important. Dressing to impress means being tidy, up to date on fashion, looking as professional as you can, dressing for your body, and if you’re advanced, bringing some personality into it.
12. You should know how to approach and meet new people.
Even if you’re an introvert, it is important to have the ability to walk up to a new person and hold a nice conversation. Meeting people is a great way to learn new things, expand your network, and gain new opportunities in life.
13. You should know how to negotiate.
Good negotiation skills can save you a ton of money. These skills can also get you that raise at your job you’ve been dreaming about. If you know how to negotiate properly, it means you’re holding all the cards and you’re prepared to battle it out.
14. You should know how to detect a lie.
Learning to detect when someone is lying to you seems like a sneaky thing to do, but you’d be surprised how handy it could become, especially if you’re raising children, or in charge of a huge team. It gives you the chance to consider all possibilities in a relationship. Did you know 91 percent of humans lie on a regular basis at work and at home, and you’re lied to about 2 or 3 times in a ten minute conversation? Yeah. Food for thought.
15. You should know how to defend yourself against single and multiple assailants.
Why? Learning self-defense makes you more aware of your surroundings, first of all. You also stop taking physical confrontations for granted. You’re more likely able to avoid a fight effectively if you’ve learned the art of self defense in the first place.
16. You should know how to use a credit card correctly.
It’s not cash…too many Americans use their credit cards irresponsibly, and in doing so, spend much more money on items than they are actually worth, pay tons of fees, and don’t have the ability to reap the many benefits of the cards. Credit card balances are supposed to be paid in full every month and they are not supposed to allow you to live beyond your means.
17. You should know how to invest in the stock market.
It’s not as difficult as you might think. Educate yourself! Money does grow if you know how to invest it correctly. You really have no excuse to not invest. There are a number of ways to invest by diversifying your portfolio automatically and manually through index or life cycle funds. Investing in the the stock market is not about picking stocks, as Ramit Sethi loves to point out.
18. You should know how to speak at least one or two languages besides English.
Did you know that 75% of the world does not speak English? That’s a lot of people you won’t be able to communicate with if you happen to be in an area where English isn’t their first language.  Expand your horizons and make an effort to communicate with the rest of the world. Start with Chinese!
19. You should know how to make money (without a job.)
Jobs and paychecks are not the only way to earn money. There are many entrepreneurs out there who know this, but there are just as many people who are wondering how it’s done while slaving away at jobs. There is another way, and it’s not magic, or the lottery. It’s determination, investing in your own education, and lots of sweat. And it’s definitely possible. Instead of plopping down in front of the t.v. after work, set some time aside to learns something and build up your educational and entrepreneurial skills.
20. You should know how to manage your personal finances.
This means knowing how to create a budget, knowing how to save money, automating your income and learning to invest and pay yourself first, before paying all your bills.
21. You should know how to draw.
In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink talks about the importance of flexing our “right brain†muscles, by learning creative skills such as drawing. Learning to draw will actually improve leadership ability in a person, and enhance and develop traits like empathy, inventiveness, and big-picture thinking.
22. You should know how to keep your computer secure.
With all the information security threats and identity theft these days, we all want to make sure our computer is secure, our personal data is private (as much as possible), and our firewalls are up. Do you know how to set yours up? This is basic computer literacy  and probably one of the more important things to be aware of.
23. You should know how to navigate with a map and compass (without a GPS).
Not to mention- learn to find the north star, learn to get your east/west bearings from the sun… what if you’re on a trip and your GPS system fails you?
24. You should know how to sew.
Basic sewing skills- such as sewing a button back onto a coat the right way, or fixing a loose shirt sleeve- will save you a few extra trips to the shopping mall. Advanced sewing skills also improves self-confidence (the knowledge you can mend everyday items), promotes focus (because it requires physical and mental concentration), and teaches persistence (most sewing projects take a considerable amount of time.)
25. You should know how to back up your data.
We accumulate so much digital data these days! In addition to being able to do some spring cleaning and organization of your data, you should have a clear system in place for regularly backing up your data- whether it’s to a cloud storage location or your own physical external hard drives. Hardware can break (and of course so can software) and having an extra copy of all your data is pretty essential these days.
26. You should know how to write professionally.
There are many, many reasons why you should know how to write professionally, from the basic cover letter to the customer service email. Writing professionally will allow your message to be clear and your voice to be respected, even when you’re not speaking face to face.
27. You should know how to perform basic first aid.
Someone you care about or even you could get hurt and when you need to disinfect and dress a wound, you’re gonna need to know how to do it right. Sometimes there’s no time to wait for the doctors.
28. You should know the correct way to respond to criticism.
Learn this skill to avoid looking defensive, unprepared and immature. Criticism is a good thing (most of the time), and it can help you improve and develop yourself if you can learn how to take it objectively and reflect on yourself and your work.
29. You should know how to put together a basic emergency preparedness kit.
Better yet, don’t just know how to put one together, actually put one together and have it ready. There’s no substitute for being well prepared.
30. You should know how to use google efficiently.
Stop wasting precious time by using google incorrectly. Learn to be precise and use the built in tools that google already comes with. Find exactly what you need using google more efficiently and more accurately. You can learn this here.
