There is something wonderful about having a useless skill that makes you happy. The thing is, these useless skills will make the people around you happy too. There is something wonderful about seeing someone do something small, something that has no purpose other than it is fun to do. So, what useless skill will you take up this year?
Speaking Backwards
I have no idea how you would go about learning this one. It is fun to see someone perform this useless skill. However, if you head to WikiHow, there is a step by step guide that can help you get started with this one. One idea could be to record yourself speaking clearly and then playing it back in reverse so you can hear how the words are supposed to sound. Some people will pick this up quicker than others, some people can do this without trying. Like all skills, all it takes is a bit of practice.
Nice Handwriting
If there is one thing I hate, it’s bad handwriting. In fairness, the writing in my notebooks when I am doing a quick free write is awful. My husband has tried to read some of my quick notes and thinks it is a form of code. But when it comes to proper handwriting, I love it. There are loads of different styles that you use to create beautiful notes. The official name for pretty handwriting is Calligraphy. There are plenty of resources out there that will have you creating beautiful handwriting for your workbooks, notice boards, and birthday cards.
Yo Yo Tricks
Back in the early 90’s, Yo Yo’s were the coolest thing ever. All of the cool kids had Yo Yo’s, but there were a few who could perform awesome tricks. From the looks of TikTok, these tricks are making a comeback. All you need to do is head to your local toy shop and there is a good chance they will have Yo Yo’s there, just waiting for you to learn how to spin them and walk the dog.
Latte Art
You would think that this is something I would have learnt years ago. Alas, I have never bothered. And I don’t have a steam wand for my milk which is kind of important when it comes to creating milky art for your coffee. If you have a steam wand for your milk, you can start this straight away. For me, adding a cute picture to my morning coffee would make my day start a bit better. You can make flowers, hearts, even dragons. If you want to go that extra mile, you could learn how to make 3D latte art. Who doesn’t want a 3D kitten in their afternoon pick me up?
Memorising Pi
105 trillion digits, that’s how many digits are in Pi. To start you off, here are the first few digits – 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197. I doubt you could manage to memorise all 105 trillion digits but you could manage the first 100 or so. The thing is, unless you work with maths, there is no reason for you to learn Pi. But learning it, preferably the first 2,000 digits (yep, you read that right) can help your memory and improve your focus.
Dancing
I have a love of dancing but I have no idea how to dance. Unless you stick a pole in front of me but that’s another story. Learning to dance is wonderful for your mental health. Ballroom dancing has taken off again within the last few years due to the popularity of Come Dance With Me on TV but it can be hard to get a partner who is willing to do it with you. Don’t worry, if you want to learn, there is a good chance that the dance studio can help team you up with someone, you just have to ask.
Whistling
Do you have a friend that can whistle? Maybe they can carry a tune or do the fingers in the mouth, blast your ears off whistle. Either way, it’s kind of cool. Whistling can help with your lungs and mental health because it can help to re-wire your brain. Being able to attract attention with a loud blast is a good bonus. A word of advice, don’t whistle at night because it is considered bad luck.
Doing a Handstand (or a back flip)
When I was young, I used to do handstands all day, every day. Now, I would pull an ass muscle by throwing my legs up like that. This is a fact because the last time I tried, I did in fact, pull my left ass cheek and cried face down on the sofa until the spasm wore off. But doing handstands and back flips are great for your core muscles, keeps your body flexible, and looks really cool.
Juggling
Working on your hand to eye co-ordination is a great way to keep your mind sharp. Working on your motor skills with juggling can help to engage your brain and make you look cool at kids birthday parties. This is one of those skills that you can learn at home with basic items. If you have scarves, start with them. If you want to try it out with a few tennis balls, go for it. Just be careful that you don’t break something when you are throwing things around the room.
Card Tricks
When it comes to card games (I’m including Uno here) it helps if you can shuffle the deck. Hands up if you struggle with this? Yeah, me too. Card tricks start as simply being able to do a basic shuffle to the “Raise Rise“. Close up card tricks are a great way to break the ice, especially if you whip out a deck and do a trick randomly. All you need is a pack of cards and some time to get the basics down.
Hula Hooping
I’ve always loved using a hula hoop but could never do any tricks. In fairness, keeping a hula hoop up is impressive enough. Not only will you end up with a super skinny waist from working your abs, but you can get light up hoops that will make you feel like a kid again. If one isn’t enough, you can learn tricks with multiple hoops, or get larger hoops to make it tougher.
Origami
This is something I’ve gotten into recently, mainly learning how to make ninja stars with the kids in my class, but still, it counts. Making origami animals is cute, relaxing, and loads of fun when you have some down time. Cranes are a fun one to start with. Plus, if you make loads of them, you can string them together to create a fun display. There are loads of YouTube videos that can help you get started.
Making Balloon Animals
Even at the grand old age of 40, I love getting a balloon animal when I’m out. Who doesn’t love a balloon sword to smack people with? Making balloon animals, or any shape with a balloon can be a lot of fun, and the kids in your life will love getting your latest creation. If you don’t have kids to hand them out to, you could always make yourself a bunch of flower balloons for your living room.
Pen Spinning
This is something that has taken off recently thanks to TikTok. The first time I saw something like this was in James Bond Golden Eye. There is a good chance that you hold a pen in your hand every day so why not swing it about a bit? Pen spinning is fun to watch and can help strengthen your hand muscles. Plus, it is one of those things that seems random but is good for your mental health by reducing stress.
Ice skating
When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to go ice skating on a Friday night. I have memories from 1999 (yep, 25 years ago) of my skinny butt falling on the ice in my yellow denim jacket. Since then, I’ve had friends who have set their kids up with ice skating lessons or got them into ice hockey. Being able to step out onto the ice and not fall is a great way to start this, and once you get into it, you can master tricks that will make you seem like an angel on the ice.
Skateboard Tricks
This is another one from my youth. Back in the 1990’s, everyone was skateboarding. You can thank Tony Hawk and the Play Station for this obsession. Skateboarding uses a lot of core strength just to stay on the board so doing tricks will engage your mind and body. Besides, being able to land an Ollie or Pivot without falling off is a big achievement. Just remember to wear those protective pads, ok?
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