How life-ready are you?
What it takes to succeed is rapidly changing
Especially for a career that is enjoyable, delivers meaning, and pays the bills. AI is reducing the value of specialized knowledge and routinized tasks - both physical and intellectual. Employment is less and less stable with most Americans self-employed or involved in side hustles. Entire career fields and paths radically change every few years. And the pace of change is increasing.
To flourish in this environment we each need 7 key assets:
Ownership & Hustle
Taking ownership of your life and career by actively creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. Passive people get left behind.
Life-ready adults must own and steward their own career with the support of their community. They don’t assume that the economy or an employer will guide them, equip them, or give them a great job. They create opportunities instead of waiting for permission. They have a bias toward action and solving problems rather than just identifying them.
Life-ready adults have a strong sense and optimism rooting in a conviction that they are in control of their destiny
Adaptability
Learning, unlearning, and adjusting to change with resilience and a growth mindset. Failing to adapt leads to obsolescence.
Life-ready adults have the ability to quickly learn, unlearn, and relearn in response to economic and technological shifts. They are fluent in AI and automation tools to use them to maximize personal and professional productivity. They are comfortable navigating uncertainty, ambiguity, and rapid change. They are emotionally mature, equipped to navigate their feelings, and embrace a growth mindset which helps create resilience.
Core Skills
Mastering essential skills to navigate the modern world. Practical skills drive hard results.
Core Skills are the essential abilities needed to navigate the modern world and achieve real results. Mastering skills like collaboration, problem-solving, writing, influencing, professionalism, and negotiation enables success in any setting. Strong life skills also mean maintaining healthy relationships, seeking help when needed, and sustaining physical and mental well-being. Achievement is demonstrated through a track record of applying these skills, setting and reaching goals, maintaining strong health, and mentoring others to do the same.
Opportunity Pathfinding
Lifelong ability to explore, target, secure, and navigate educational and career opportunities.
Opportunity Pathfinding is the lifelong ability to explore, secure, and navigate educational and career opportunities. It involves choosing the right education path, mastering admissions, exploring industries, job seeking, optimizing applications, and excelling in interviews and negotiations. Success means gaining diverse work experiences, securing high-quality opportunities, smoothly transitioning into new roles, and earning admission to strong programs—all while building the skills to mentor others along the way.
Financial Power
Understanding and using money as a tool for long-term security, financial freedom, and wealth-building. Make money work for you.
Life-ready adults know more than basics of money, credit, and banking. They understand how to use money as a tool instead of just earning and spending. They are proficient with the concepts or return-on-investment, thinking in bets, time value-of money, and creating leverage. They know when and how to use capital (debt, investments, business funding) to accelerate wealth creation. They have a clear strategy for building assets rather than being dependent on a paycheck.
Social Capital
Building and using relationships to create personal and career opportunities. Your network is your net worth.
Social Capital is the ability to build and leverage relationships to create personal and career opportunities—your network is your net worth. It involves developing key mindsets, skills, and knowledge, such as networking, relationship management, maintaining a professional social media presence, and finding shared affinities with others. Achieving strong social capital means cultivating both strong and weak ties with a diverse mix of professionals, earning sponsorship from those who actively create opportunities, and establishing a positive reputation. It also includes gaining life experiences and engaging in affinity groups that support personal and career growth.
Academic Foundations
Mastery of essential subjects: math, science, English, humanities + domain knowledge. It's the bedrock of any successful career.
A great career requires a strong academic foundation.
High schools should ensure students develop strong analytical, reasoning, and communication skills across subjects. Math should emphasize algebra, geometry, and statistics for problem-solving. Science should focus on scientific literacy, data interpretation, and experimental reasoning rather than memorization. English courses must build reading comprehension, evidence-based argumentation, and structured writing. History and civics should teach critical evaluation of sources and governmental systems. Technical literacy, including digital tools and basic coding, is essential. Graduates should leave with academic competence and the ability to engage in self-directed learning.
For those that pursue a bachelor’s degree, universities should refine critical thinking, research proficiency, and domain expertise. General education must enhance quantitative reasoning, scientific literacy, and structured communication. Major-specific courses should emphasize deep analysis, problem-solving, and real-world applications through case studies and research projects. Interdisciplinary learning is crucial for applying knowledge across fields.