Here is a short list of some of the essential skills you will need to learn and improve upon as a homesteader or someone living a self-reliant lifestyle, and a few examples for each.
1. Food Acquisition
-Gardening:
-Tree Planting
-Soil Science
-Water Management/Irrigation
-Pest Control
-Pruning
-Disease Control
-Planting times and zones
-Varieties by location/zone
-Composting
-Hunting/Animal Husbandry
-Knowledge of firearms/archery and how to use
-Know how to process hunted/raised meats
-Knowledge of hunting and trapping methods and strategies
-Knowledge of local game
-Gathering/Foraging
-Knowledge of local wild-edibles and herbs
-Know how to identify edible wild plants
-Know and be able to identify poisonous vegetation
2. Water Acquisition
-Know and Identify sources
-Rainwater Collection
-Creek/Spring
-Pond/Lake
-Well
3. Water Purification
-Know methods on how to filter and purify water from various sources
-Pumps and Filters
-Drip systems
4. Building a Fire - Cooking and Heating
-Wood acquisition and processing
-Knowledge of wood collection and processing equipment
-Primitive cooking knowledge
-Wood stoves and other heating/cooking methods
5. Knowledge of Tools
-Woodworking Tools
-Mechanical Tools
-Power Tools
-Gardening Tools
-Arborist Tools
6. Basic Construction
-Carpentry
-Roofing
-Fencing
-Plumbing
-Repair/General Maintenance
7. Basic Engine Mechanics
-Farm Equipment: Tractors/Excavators etc.
-Generators
-Vehicles
-Saws and other equipment
8. Personal First-Aid/ Basic First-Aid Skills
-Bandaging
-Disinfecting
-Splinting
-Burn Care
-Stitching
9. Healthy Eating and Natural Remedies
-Knowledge of herbs and medicinal plants
-Knowledge of dietary essentials
10. Knowledge of Knot-Tying
-Clove Hitch
-Bowline
-Reef Knot
-Sheet Bend
11. Knife skills and usage - #1 everyday tool
-Safety
-Carving
-Cutting
-Skinning
12. Animal Husbandry
-Mating
-Rearing
-Raising
-Medicine and Medical Care
13. Food Preservation
-Canning
-Freezing
-Curing
-Drying
-Dehydrating
-Smoking