Sure, learning a new skill in just two days sounds ambitious—but it’s totally doable. In fact, there are so many hidden talents you can pick up over a single weekend! Here are thirteen hidden skills that you’ll be able to learn in two days to improve your life. From communicating with people in a new way or tying knots, there’s something here for everyone. This weekend could be the perfect time to try out something new!
Featured Image Credit: IgorVetushko /Depositphotos.com.
Mastering Memory Palaces
Why not spend your weekend learning the ancient memory palace technique to improve your recall skills? Also known as the Method of Loci, this method involves associating information with specific locations in a mental image of a familiar place. Visualizing items or facts in certain places helps you remember important details much more easily.
Learning Basic Morse Code
Why not try exploring the world of dots & dashes by picking up the basics of Morse code? Such a system of communication allows you to send messages using short & long signals. Over the weekend, you’ll learn how to encode and decode simple messages. You might not use it in your everyday life but it’s a skill that could come in use in unexpected situations.
Understanding the Phonetic Alphabet
Similarly, you can learn the NATO phonetic alphabet in a weekend. Learning terms like “Alpha” for A, “Bravo” for B & “Charlie” for C will help you communicate more clearly over the phone, especially when you’re spelling out names or codes. Best of all, it’s a skill that makes you sound quite cool, too.
Speed Reading Techniques
Spend some time improving your reading speed with techniques like chunking & reducing subvocalization. Training yourself to read groups of words instead of one at a time will help you speed through books or articles much faster. This includes practicing eye movement exercises. In doing so, you’ll save time & also absorb more information—you just need some dedication.
Intro to Lock Picking
Get a basic understanding of lock picking for ethical reasons because this will improve your knowledge of security. With a simple lock pick set & some practice, you’ll learn how pin tumbler locks work and how to open them without a key. Of course, you’ll need to use this skill responsibly and within legal boundaries. Even so, such a skill will stop you from being locked out of your own home someday!
Basic Sign Language
Try learning basic sign language to communicate in a whole new way. While you won’t master it over the weekend, you’ll be able to pick up common signs & phrases in American Sign Language (ASL) to help you speak with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. As such, it’s quite a rewarding experience that’ll give you more opportunities to connect with people.
Intro to Body Language Reading
Speaking of languages, you could start interpreting non-verbal cues by studying the basics of body language. In doing so, you’ll learn how things like facial expressions and gestures can show people’s feelings or intentions. It doesn’t take too long to learn—but it’s certainly a useful skill. You’ll improve your communication and better understand those around you.
Lucid Dreaming Basics
Take control of your dreams by exploring lucid dreaming, which involves being aware that you’re dreaming—and you’ll even get to control the dream! To start, keep a dream journal next to your bed and write down your dreams as soon as you wake up. You’ll also need to practice reality checks during the day, like counting your fingers or checking the clock. Over the weekend, you might experience your first lucid dream.
Whistling with Fingers
You could even learn something as simple as how to whistle loudly using your fingers, which is quite a useful skill for getting attention. Simply position your fingers correctly & adjust your tongue and lips to produce a sharp sound. Naturally, it does take some practice to get the technique down. But once you do, it’s a great way to make yourself heard.
Tying Advanced Knots
Rather than doing basic shoelace knots, why not learn some advanced knots like the bowline & clove hitch? These knots are useful for activities both camping & sailing and learning them can improve your problem-solving skills. And really, there’s something satisfying about knowing the right knot for the right occasion. It’ll be quite useful in your everyday life.
Mental Math Tricks
You could try improving your arithmetic speed by learning mental math shortcuts, which involve techniques like multiplying large numbers using patterns or calculating percentages quickly. For example, to find 15% of a number, just find 10%—then add half of that amount. You’ll definitely need this skill when you’re shopping or splitting bills.
Basic Self-Defense Moves
It’s never too late to learn some simple self-defense techniques to improve personal safety. Try learning how to break free from common holds and use your strength to your advantage so that you can protect yourself in different situations. This might involve techniques like groin kicks & palm strikes. Even elbow strikes are effective when you need them!
Basic First Aid Skills
You never know when you’ll need to know essential first aid procedures like CPR and that’s why you should take a weekend to learn them. There are many certified courses online or in your community that cover the basics. Really, it’s time well spent—and you might even save a life someday. Everyone should definitely know this one.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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