Young adults today face a challenging, complicated world that requires emotional resilience, motivation, and financial literacy. In this high-stakes environment, it’s no wonder that few youth feel up to the challenge.
Not surprisingly, essential life skills for young adults like confidence, motivation, resilience, and communication are linked to better academic outcomes and better-paying jobs in the workplace. A report by the Sutton Trust revealed that “94% of employers consider life skills as important as academic qualifications for young people’s success. However, 68% of employers felt that 18-year-old youth lacked the necessary skills for the workplace.”
Why is there a disparity between what the real world requires and the hard skills our youth need to succeed? It’s no secret that many young adults face challenges such as low motivation, poor financial literacy, and difficulties transitioning into adulthood. The answer to why young adults continue to struggle to launch is something Octagon Mentoring has spent decades considering.
The Eight Dimensions of Growth: Octagon’s Approach to Life Skills
Leonardo da Vinci discovered that people can observe themselves from every angle when standing within an octagon of mirrors. We build on this idea as we evaluate and train our participants in eight different modules to develop a growth mindset. As young adults progress through Octagon’s holistic growth curriculum, they gain life skills that will stick with them through all the ups and downs of life.
1. Mind: The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Your mindset shapes everything. Self-reflecting, meditation, attitude, values, and the stories we tell ourselves shape our reality. For example, when a young adult shifts her self-talk from “I’m not good at this” to “I can learn this,” she gains the confidence to tackle challenges and face the future with courage and grit.
2. Body: The Foundation of Well-Being
Adequate sleep, consistent movement, and balanced nutrition aren’t just about health—they provide the foundation for stable mental health and a well-lived life. For example, when a young adult starts prioritizing regular workouts and balanced meals, he finds himself more focused at work and energized in his personal life.
3. Process: The Art of Getting Things Done
If your child is like today’s youth, they struggle with the logistics and motivation to get from point A to point B. Goal setting and achievement are a mystery. We aim to demystify and delve into the art of getting things done by discussing how to create habits that stick and time management. An effective example of time management is called “habit-stacking.” This process ties a new habit to the routine of an existing habit, making you more likely to achieve success.
4. Finances: The Power of Money Mindsets
Financial habits shape your future. If a youth learns how to budget and save, it will reduce his stress and give him the freedom to pursue his dream job without worrying about paycheck-to-paycheck living.
5. Relationships: The Glue of Life
Building strong connections is essential for humankind. Our curriculum explores how your youth can connect with the people they love. For example, a young adult who learns to communicate better with her younger sister by practicing active listening can strengthen her sisterly bond and create a more supportive home environment.
6. Career: Turning Work Into Passion
The average American spends 90,000 hours working. Finding meaningful work is not just icing on the cake. Most people have more than one interest, and choosing one thing to focus on is often difficult, especially when you are young and have little to no work experience. How can you find a job that’s right for you, meets your values and financial goals, and allows for personal growth? Our curriculum is designed to help youth uncover their talents and values–clarifying this will help them find jobs that align with their core values and goals.
7. Purpose: The Bigger Picture
Our lives are deeply connected, and it makes sense that something feels missing if we focus solely on what we want and need. How do you connect to something bigger than just yourself? Our curriculum explores this theme of giving back and connecting to others. For example, a youth might find that volunteering at a local food kitchen helps him find meaning beyond work and deepens his sense of fulfillment.
8. Culture: The Secret Sauce
Embracing your unique quirks and talents brings joy and authenticity. There’s only one you. How do we embrace those weird and cool things that make us unapologetically us? Whether expressing your love for Bollywood or cooking vegan family recipes, leaning into your passions will enrich your relationships and bring confidence.
Real-World Benefits of Developing Life Skills
Mastering life skills impacts daily life and ultimately shapes your future. A Qualitative Research Study on the Importance of Life Skills shows how the development of basic life skills like communication, finances, time management, and handling stress leads to greater personal and social competencies. Equipped with the necessary life skills, young adults are more likely to make better financial decisions and navigate adulthood with success.
Here’s what this looks like in the real world:
Improved Employability and Career Success
Employers highly value life skills like communication, teamwork, and time management. These skills enhance one’s ability to collaborate, adapt to workplace dynamics, and effectively handle responsibilities.
Consider this example: Mark is nervous about his upcoming job interviews. In the past, interviews have often left him tongue-tied and unable to present himself well. Determined to improve, he practiced stress management through visualization and mock interviews with a mentor. On the day of a high-stakes interview, Mark can stay calm, answer questions confidently, and even impress the panel with his clear, thoughtful responses because he has developed his ability to manage stress and has used his time well to prepare. This sets him apart from other candidates, ultimately landing his dream job.
Better Financial Security
Skills such as budgeting, saving, and general financial literacy help individuals avoid debt, build wealth, and plan for the future. Financial literacy also leads to better decisions when it comes to planning for education, housing, and retirement.
Consider this example: James had always dreamed of attending a prestigious university, but when it came time to decide, he faced the reality of its high tuition. A high school course on financial literacy taught him how to evaluate costs, scholarships, and long-term debt. Instead of choosing the most expensive option, James chose a smaller state school offering a full scholarship and strong internship opportunities. Years later, he graduated debt-free, started his career earlier than his peers, and felt empowered by his ability to make informed financial decisions.
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Stronger Relationships
Communication, empathy, and emotional resilience improve personal and professional relationships. These skills are essential for resolving conflicts and maintaining healthy connections with friends, family, and colleagues.
Enhanced Mental Health And Stress Management
Developing emotional resilience and problem-solving skills equips young adults to handle challenges and setbacks confidently. The ability to meet life’s challenges and setbacks leads to solid mental health, reduces anxiety, and promotes a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
Increased Independence and Adaptability
Life skills empower individuals to navigate adulthood confidently, whether managing daily tasks, making major life decisions, or adjusting to unexpected changes. Quality mentoring is one way your youth can gain solid life skills. In our experience, low motivation and self-esteem stem from feelings of inadequacy. In the words of Octagon Mentoring’s founder, Andrew Taylor, “Our goal is to empower the young person to be the driver of their own life, with positive and healthy support from the family system.”
How Octagon Mentoring Empowers Young Adults
Octagon Mentoring offers a full range of services designed to empower young adults:
- Executive functioning coaching: Personalized programs to help young adults achieve their full potential.
- Individual Mentoring: Tailored, individual support to develop personal growth.
- Octagon Coaching House: A structured environment designed to build independence.
With Octagon Mentoring, you get a team of qualified professionals that can offer you the following benefits:
- Individualized support: Each young adult receives personalized mentoring tailored to their unique strengths, challenges, and goals. So, you can expect a customized path to growth and success.
- A focus on practical skills: We emphasize real-world skills like decision-making, goal-setting, and managing responsibilities, equipping participants for everyday challenges.
- Building confidence: We empower participants to take ownership of their choices by addressing low self-esteem and motivation. Octagon helps young adults develop self-confidence and independence.
- Structured environment: Programs like the Octagon Coaching House balance freedom and accountability, offering a safe space for young adults to transition to independence with a trusted mentor by their side.
Don’t Leave Home Without It!: Essential Life Skills For Young Adults
What is Octagon Mentoring? A handful of personalized programs to help you reach your full potential. The development of life skills is what makes our services so valuable. Our programs focus on gaining practical life skills like study skills enhancement, self-management, and time management–hard skills that build confidence and profoundly impact daily living, future education, and career success.
Many of our programs, like our Executive Function Coaching, improve executive functioning skills like time management, self-control, attention, emotional regulation, and organization. Research shows that executive functioning skills are essential for success in life and academics. In fact, 88% of young people, 94% of employers, and 97% of teachers say that life skills are more important than academic qualifications, and 72% of teachers believe schools should increase their focus on teaching life skills. However, schools are making the change. But you don’t have to wait for legislation to initiate a course correction.
Octagon Mentoring can instill values and confidence through practical life skill development. Life skills are the number one challenge impacting our youth today, and they’re not going away anytime soon. If you’re worried about your developing youth’s lack of life skills, reach out to Octagon Mentoring today. We have programs designed specifically for your child, and our qualified professional staff is ready to help.
