How to Keep Your Knowledge Growing Without Getting Stuck in the Past
Today, I want to share a realization that struck me at work. In the MedTech startup where I work, we recently welcomed a new colleague—a doctor who’s quite well-known in his field, and something of an influencer. He’s British, not Australian as some might think, and he speaks French—very well, in fact. But here’s the interesting part: he learned French when he was young, probably around 18, during his time in the military. He served as a doctor in the navy, working both in the UK and France for 27 years.
Now, he’s about 56 or 58, and he hasn’t really practiced French for 15 or 20 years. When we spoke, I noticed something funny: he used very youthful slang and expressions, the kind you’d expect from a teenager. He kept saying “yeah, yeah, yeah” and used lots of abbreviations. It was as if I was talking to someone my age, not someone who could be my father.
That’s when it hit me—when you stop using a language, or any skill for that matter, it stops growing with you. The way you spoke or did things at 18 is frozen in time if you don’t keep practicing. Our mother tongue changes as we grow, but a language or skill you set aside for years stays stuck at the level you left it.
It’s not just about language. As an IT engineer, if I stopped programming for years, I’d probably code like someone stuck in the days of Pascal or BASIC. The same goes for any field—if you stop, your knowledge doesn’t keep up with new trends, tools, or ways of thinking.
This is why it’s so important to keep your knowledge moving forward. The world changes, and so do the demands of every profession. If you stop learning, you risk becoming like my colleague—speaking a language, or practicing a skill, that no longer fits the present.
Australia, where I live now, is a great example of a place that takes care of itself and keeps moving forward. It’s clean, safe, and the government really looks after the country. It’s refreshing to see, especially when I compare it to Europe, which sometimes feels like it’s falling behind.
Back to the main point: you have to decide which skills you want to keep sharp and which ones you’re okay letting go. If you want to stay relevant in your field—whether it’s IT, marketing, cooking, or fashion—you have to keep learning. Even cooking changes: recipes, trends, and tastes evolve. The same goes for fashion and design.
If you ever decide to switch careers, that’s fine—life’s too short to do the same thing forever. But be aware that going back to an old field after years away will be much harder. The world won’t wait for you to catch up.
So, ask yourself: which skills do you want to keep alive? Which ones will be useful to you in the long run? Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’ve learned enough for life. The world of yesterday isn’t the world of today, and tomorrow will be different again. The best way to prepare for the future is to invest in yourself now. Time is the most limited and precious resource we have.
The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.
— Peter Drucker
Knowledge, like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
— African Proverb
Key Takeaways
- If you stop practicing a skill or language, it stops growing with you.
- The world and its demands change—your knowledge should too.
- Decide which skills you want to keep sharp and keep learning.
- Investing in yourself today is the best way to prepare for tomorrow.
Action Steps
- Identify the skills you want to keep up-to-date.
- Set aside regular time to practice or learn something new.
- Don’t be afraid to switch fields, but know it’s harder to go back after a long break.
Reflection
- Which of my skills have I let stand still?
- What can I do today to keep my knowledge moving forward?
- Am I investing enough in myself and my future?
Pierre-Henry Soria
#Cognitive Evolution #Entrepreneurship #Knowledge Growth #Language Skills #Lifelong Learning #Professional Development #Tasks #Tech