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ventaCome January, I shall be making my usual bookkeeping post in which I witter tediously about the extent to which I've kept the previous year's resolutions. However, I have a new plan for making resolutions this year... and I need a bit of assistance.
My aim for this year is to acquire twelve new skills - one per month. They are to be things which could be regarded as useful life skills. Now, I'd love to learn to speak Japanese, or to play decent jazz piano from a fakebook, or to learn to ride a horse, but these are clearly abilities I'm unlikely to acquire in a few weeks.
I've already selected some of the skills I shall attempt to acquire. I don't know how to feed or bath a baby, or change a nappy, and I feel I should be able to (learning this obviously requires me to locate a friend who will lend an appropriately sized baby. Offers welcome.) Most of the basic first-aid skills I've learned have fallen out of my head (or changed in the years since I learned them), so I should brush up in that area. I'd like to learn a few basic guitar chords; I've no delusions of learning to play guitar in a month, but being able to keep up with the three-chord trick should (I hope) be manageable.
However, I'm after suggestions to add to my list. As the guitar should suggest, I'm willing to accept a fairly broad definition of 'life skills'; think of it as a list of abilities which today's urbane sophisiticate could be expected to possess. The skill must be plausibly learnable (or its basics graspable) in a few weeks. And I don't wish to get all SMART, but it should be objectively measurable. There should be some goal (a first-aid certificate, a non-wailing baby, and a quick rendition of a few Status Quo numbers) to demonstrate I've achieved some level of competency.
Does anyone else fancy this for the new year ? If so, shout up and we can get compiling a list from which any takers can select their twelve life skills.
My aim for this year is to acquire twelve new skills - one per month. They are to be things which could be regarded as useful life skills. Now, I'd love to learn to speak Japanese, or to play decent jazz piano from a fakebook, or to learn to ride a horse, but these are clearly abilities I'm unlikely to acquire in a few weeks.
I've already selected some of the skills I shall attempt to acquire. I don't know how to feed or bath a baby, or change a nappy, and I feel I should be able to (learning this obviously requires me to locate a friend who will lend an appropriately sized baby. Offers welcome.) Most of the basic first-aid skills I've learned have fallen out of my head (or changed in the years since I learned them), so I should brush up in that area. I'd like to learn a few basic guitar chords; I've no delusions of learning to play guitar in a month, but being able to keep up with the three-chord trick should (I hope) be manageable.
However, I'm after suggestions to add to my list. As the guitar should suggest, I'm willing to accept a fairly broad definition of 'life skills'; think of it as a list of abilities which today's urbane sophisiticate could be expected to possess. The skill must be plausibly learnable (or its basics graspable) in a few weeks. And I don't wish to get all SMART, but it should be objectively measurable. There should be some goal (a first-aid certificate, a non-wailing baby, and a quick rendition of a few Status Quo numbers) to demonstrate I've achieved some level of competency.
Does anyone else fancy this for the new year ? If so, shout up and we can get compiling a list from which any takers can select their twelve life skills.
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-27 11:47 am (UTC)Well, given you're giving your flist 12 month's warning, I guess by the end of the year this one could be achievable...
How's your oenology? I know you have developed ale quaffing^Htasting to a reasonable degree, but what about wines? Not wine snobbery, but surely an urbane sophisticate could at least be expected to know what grapes they prefer and what will go well with what sorts of food? And you can presumably get some enjoyment out of the learning process itself. :)
Growing your own veg? There's a goal in that inasmuch as growing, cooking, and eating it. And it's at least somewhat useful.
And I was sorely tempted to suggest poledancing, but more for the amusement value than anything else, but I'm probably not far enough away to avoid getting slapped. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-27 12:50 pm (UTC)Learning a couple of origami shapes to amaze and delight people - I know I'm impressed by anyone who can actually fold paper into anything more than a basic paper aeroplane. (Aside: livejounal spellcheck thinks that should be 'airplane' and I'm not convinced although it's now got me doubting my own spelling!)
How about half a dozen swearwords in Klingon, Latin, and other obscure/defunct languages?
no subject
Date: 2008-12-28 02:03 pm (UTC)Dancing would otherwise be top of the list. In my view everyone should be able to dance as part of a couple, in some style or other. Not to demonstration standard, but just enough to have a little fun if there's some spare music.
I think I'll pass on the pretentious swearing, but origami is a good idea I wouldn't have thought of. Stick to your guns: it's aeroplane.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-27 12:51 pm (UTC):-)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-28 02:00 pm (UTC)I suspect you're right about the wine-tasting being a prerequisite for urbane sophistication, but I have very good reason for avoiding it. At present, I cheerfully drink whatever Tesco is flogging at half price and enjoy it. Developing Tastes and Opinions tends to result in the purchasing of more expensive wines, so I'll stick with ignorance for now :)