[ddek]

Retention and maintenance is easier than progress. If you get a skill to some level, then stop constructively practicing it, then you’ll allow your ability to slide back a bit but it’ll stay pretty good.

E.g. if you train to run 5k in 15 minutes (vvv hard, will consume much of your life for a long time), then return to a lower volume program, you won’t be able to run as fast but you’ll still be much, much faster than average.

So you prioritise. Pick something to do now, and say ‘I am doing this for June. In July I shall do this other thing.’ Maybe a SMART goal for the month. Stick to your schedule. Once it’s over, don’t forget the skill, but prioritise your new focus.

Having a back-catalog of skills is so much fun. They may only be 80% of what they were but that’s enough for 95% of cases.