How to Keep Skills Alive Without Daily Practice
Today, I want to share a realization that struck me at work. In our MedTech startup, where we’re always talking about “revolutionizing medicine” (yes, it sounds cliché, but it’s true), we recently welcomed a new colleague. He’s a well-known British doctor, a bit of an influencer in his field, and he speaks French—really well, actually.
What’s fascinating is how he learned French. Decades ago, when he was young, he picked it up while serving in the military, both in the UK and in France. Now, he’s about 56 or 58 years old, and he hasn’t really practiced French for 15 or 20 years.
When he speaks, it’s as if he’s still that young man who first learned the language. His vocabulary is full of youthful slang, and he uses expressions that sound a bit odd coming from someone his age. Imagine a 58-year-old saying, “Yeah, what’s up?” in French, using the kind of language you’d expect from a teenager. It’s funny, but it also made me realize something important.
Languages—and really, any skill—grow and change with us as we use them. The way I speak French or English now is nothing like how I spoke at 18. Back then, I used different words, more slang, even more swearing. Now, my language has matured. But if you stop practicing a language, or any skill, for years, it freezes in time. It doesn’t grow with you. You end up speaking or working like the person you were when you last used it.
This isn’t just about language. I’m a computer engineer. If I stopped programming for years, I’d probably still code like I did back in the days of Pascal or BASIC. The same goes for any field—if you stop, your knowledge stops evolving too.
It’s important to keep this in mind. If you stop learning or practicing something, in ten years you’ll be like my colleague: speaking French like a young soldier, out of sync with the present. The world moves on, and so do the tools, trends, and ways of doing things. Whether it’s technology, cooking, fashion, or anything else, things change. Even recipes and styles move forward.
So, what skills do you want to keep? Which ones will be useful to you in the long run? It’s up to you to decide, but remember: you have to keep updating yourself. The idea that you can learn something once and be set for life just isn’t true anymore. The world of yesterday isn’t today’s world, and tomorrow will be different again.
No one knows what the future will look like, but the best way to prepare is to invest in yourself now. Time is the most limited and precious resource we have. Don’t put off what you want to do today. The best moment to start is always now.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
— Peter Drucker
“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”
— Theophrastus
Key Takeaways
- If you stop practicing a skill, it freezes at the level you left it.
- Regular practice keeps your skills and knowledge growing with you.
- The world and its tools are always changing—don’t let yourself fall behind.
- Decide which skills matter to you and keep them alive.
- The best time to invest in yourself is now.
Action Steps
- Pick one skill you want to keep sharp and practice it regularly.
- Set aside time each week to update your knowledge in your field.
- Reflect on what you want to be good at in ten years—and start today.
Reflection
What skills are you letting freeze in time? What’s one thing you can start practicing again today?
Pierre-Henry Soria
#Entrepreneurship #Language Learning #Money #Professional Development #Regular Practice #Skill Retention #Success Strategies #Tasks #Tech #Wealth