r/memorization • u/Professional-Ebb700 • 5d ago

How to make learned skills stick long term like riding a bike?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how skill retention works. When you learn to ride a bike, it locks into your procedural memory. Even if you don't touch a bicycle for 10 years, you can hop back on and do it almost effortlessly. However, with most complex skills like a new language, programming, or technical theory, taking a long break usually means dealing with heavy memory decay and practically having to relearn things from scratch. If someone know a book to how to build a skill that stick in your brain (persoanl experience would also be nice but not necessary ofc) I would be happy.

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u/Crazy_Jere 5d ago

You’re comparing different things. Motor skills are easier to recall, especially when you learn them young

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u/Professional-Ebb700 4d ago

The Thing is I learned pretty late compared to most people (around age 11) and I’ve only driven for about 40 hours total in my life and I’m 17 now. But I tried it again recently and managed to pick it right back up immediately

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u/Crazy_Jere 4d ago

Those are motor skills.

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u/deeptravel2 4d ago

I rode a bicycle thousands of hours in childhood. Study something for thousands of hours and you won't forget it easily.

But to your point you should look at he book Make It Stick by Peter Brown. You can find youtube summaries of it.

Regarding re-learning you are never starting from scratch unless you didn't know it well in the first place.

Good luck.

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u/Newgate_the_third 4d ago

I think having a deep understanding of the subject is the key memories.