The modern age is defined by an unprecedented spread of digital devices, which can shape behaviour in ways that are sometimes deliberate and sometimes not. If your life is run by your digital devices, then it might be that you’ve allowed some more traditional skills to wither. Or, you might not have picked up those skills in the first place.
Let’s take a look at a few key skills worth refreshing yourself, or your children, on.
Reading Analogue Clocks and Telling the Time
If you can’t read a traditional clock, with a face and hands, then you might find yourself struggling when this is the only form of clock available. Of course, since we almost always find ourselves carrying a phone in our pocket, this might not be such a huge problem. But if you’d like to stay in step with tradition, then switching your phone to provide a clock-face reading, rather than a numeric one, might be beneficial.
If you want a means of accessorising and storing your wealth in an item you can wear every day, then a traditional mechanical wristwatch might be the best way to do it. Pre-owned Rolex watches can be surprisingly affordable, and, since you’re not buying new, you might find that the asset actually appreciates in the future.
Navigating Without GPS
GPS has changed the game when you’re in an unfamiliar town or city. But what if you’re out in the wilderness, and you can’t rely on your mobile phone? Being able to get around using a paper map and a compass will allow you to benefit from a navigation aid that doesn’t require power or signal. Plus, being able to navigate in this way can be inherently more satisfying and extremely useful when there aren’t any marked paths available.
Basic DIY and Practical Life Skills
One key piece of evidence that practical skills are in decline is the fact that so many new cars don’t come equipped with a spare tyre: modern drivers simply aren’t trusted to change them.
But this is one of many practical skills that can make a big difference in your life. Building them can save you time and money in the long term, as well as provide you with satisfaction. Being able to change a light bulb, install a loft ladder, patch up a wall, or install a shelf might be hugely worthwhile as time goes on.
Preserving Handwriting and Mental Arithmetic
Since many of us type, or dictate, whenever we interact with one another, the practice of writing things out by hand has declined significantly. The same goes for doing mental arithmetic: if you can outsource this task to a computer, then why not do so and leave your brain free for other, more creative work?
The fact is that skills like these don’t require much mental effort once you build them. What’s more, they can build up your fine motor skills and your level of comfort with numbers. After all, you might not want to bring out a phone when you come to split the bill at a restaurant!