BASIC HOUSEKEEPING SKILLS

From making your bed to laundry basics, we all need basic housekeeping skills. This means everyone! Men and women, from college students to grandparents: keeping a tidy house is a life skill that ensures the health of your family, keeps you organized and able to find what you need, and saves you money so you can keep living the Good Life. If you need help with maintenance, try creating a cleaning schedule or start speed cleaning. If you aren’t sure where to start, try our Beginner’s Guide to Cleaning.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR VALUES

Similar to understanding your mission, understanding your values will give you guidance through any decision. If honesty is one of your values, then next time you’re put in a compromising position you’ll never be tempted to lie—because you know honesty is so important to you. If family communication and connectedness is a top value, then you’ll use that to guide your decisions that affect your kids. Write out your values and refer to them whenever you’re facing a tough choice.

Choose Best Friends

You don’t get to pick your schoolmates or work associates. Most people you come into contact with in life are largely incidental. Whom you choose to stay in contact with is an accurate gauge of your ability to make character assessments.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Similar to writing, speaking—especially public speaking—can cause some of us to cower in the corner while others take to it like fishes in water. Everyone can learn some helpful tips for speaking better, like remembering to breathe, being prepared and connecting with your mission and expressing it to your audience. If you’re brave, take the plunge and sign yourself up for a speaking opportunity, a talk in church, or the open forum at your PTO meeting. The more you practice, the better you’ll become.