A no-brainer answer would be to Imagine when you were a kid. What were those activities that made your eyes light up with excitement and your heart beat a little faster. This could be music, fine art, or reading.
These childhood interests open a window to the digital skills you many enjoy doing. If you like music, you could thrive as an audio/video editor. If you like fine art, you could thrive as an illustrator or fine art. If you enjoy reading, you may thrive as a writer. However, this won't go without saying your childhood passion won't necessarily lead you to the ultimate answer. You may even end up with a totally different skill.
This brings me to the practical ways to choose the right skill to learn:
- Self Assessment
- Ikigai (A westernized Japanese philosophy)
Self Assessment
In business, there's something called SWOT analysis. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
Strengths
Telling you to list your existing skills as strengths would defeat the purpose of this response. So your strengths in this case could be:
- Access to a laptop
- Access to 24/7 Light or Internet
- Residing outside of Nigeria
Weaknesses
- The above strengths could be your weaknesses, including but not limited to:
- Procrastination
- Overthinking
- Impatience
Opportunities
They say opportunities are everywhere and it's not an understatement
- Look at job boards, what are employers hiring for the most?
- Look at trends. Which skill is currently in demand?
- NDZ - Yes, being here is an opportunity. 99.9999% of Nigerians don't know about us. Look at what others learning on this forum to get an idea into what's in demand.
Threats
- How fast are you looking to learn and monetize?
- Is the skill future proof? Especially with AI taking over.
- Which skill will make you hireable fast as an African?
Use the SWOT to identify which skill fits your current situation. Look at some of the best skills to learn in 2024 here.
Ikigai (A Westernised Japanese Philosophy)
Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy that is all about the importance of finding purpose and fulfilment. If you search online, you'd find this popular image. However, I assume you have some foundational skills
Each circle represent a crucial aspect of your life: What you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
Begin with what you love (Passion)
Which activities that bring you joy and satisfaction. It could be a hobby, a form of creative expression, or a subject that has always fascinated you.
What you are good at (Vocation)
It's about recognizing the things you excel at, whether through acquired knowledge and experience. This could be public speaking or persuasion.
What the world needs (Mission)
Ikigai encourages you to consider the impact you want to have on the world or your community. This also helps you think outside of the box and selflessly.
What you can be paid for (Profession)
Look at the list of all foundational skills you have. Choose which one that you think is monetizable. It helps you become realistic on whether a skill has future or not.
So, Ikigai is the place where your passion, vocation, mission, and profession align, giving you a clear sense of purpose and satisfaction.
I'll stop here. Let me know if you have any questions.
