With the majority of 2024 ahead of us, there’s plenty of time to learn new skills and a recent study is revealing exactly what Americans plan to learn.
Have you ever heard of the ‘Cozy Girl Aesthetic?” It’s a phrase trending online and in part relates to enjoying a comfortable lifestyle, prioritizing wellness and feel-good, cozy, convivial energy.
This aesthetic is further proven to be popular by the results of the skills study. 72% of respondents said their desired outcome of learning a new skill is to live a more enjoyable lifestyle. Of all the specific skills someone can learn, Americans ranked ones around the home as their top priority. The #1 skill we’re learning in 2024 is cooking and baking, as prioritized by 85% of study respondents!
Next, at #3 came home repairs and maintenance, #5 was video games, #8 was writing, #11 was knitting/crocheting/quilting/embroidery, #12 was gardening and landscaping, and the final cozy girl skill that ranked high is painting and drawing at #13.
Health and fitness are the top general skills Americans are learning in 2024, as prioritized by 65% of study respondents.
One other trend that stood out in the study was financial goals. 59% of respondents said they are learning financial skills in 2024 and when that is broken down into specific skills, budgeting and investing skills ranked the #2 and #4 top prioritized skills, respectively.
Sometimes keeping goals is tough though and Americans explained what hurdles keep them from learning new skills too. A significant 46% of study respondents have at some point felt too old to begin learning a new skill. Additionally, the top factors hindering Americans’ skill acquisition are patience, mental health, and coordination.
Back to the financial side of things, the majority (56%) of respondents said they feel their current skill set inhibits how much money they can earn. The impact of economic inflation also plays a significant role. 58% said they feel an increased pressure to enhance their skills due to economic challenges.
Overall, there are a myriad of reasons why Americans want to pick up a new skill in 2024, and there’s no time like the present to set goals and start achieving them.
Photo by Isabella Fischer on Unsplash
