The only way to develop durable skills is repetition over time.
I beat my son at tennis today. That’s rare – he’s better than me.
But neither of us had played tennis since the fall, and I had one (temporary) advantage.
Skill durability.
My skills, meager though they are, are well established in my brain and body. The months away are relatively minor, compared to the years since I first learned the game.
His skills, while more robust, are relatively new. So they diminished somewhat over the winter.
With renewed practice they’ll recover quickly, and I anticipate a summer of losing regularly. But it’s a good reminder.
We don’t just seek deep and broad skills. We seek durable skills that can withstand a break, that can withstand a cold, that can withstand any pressure put against them.