How to retain acquired knowledge?
**A little intro first**
^(You can skip this part if you just want to read the question)
After 47 years I think I have finally found my people. Researching ADHD and sleep optimization on Methylphenidate, I came across a word I never heard before. *Polymath*. I looked it up, read about it and something just clicked into place. Suddenly a repeating pattern of my life became so much clearer.
Through my life, I have always seemed to have an easy time mastering seemingly unrelated subjects. Digging deep into theoretical knowledge and practical application alike until I either couldn't get any better at it or lost interest due to some other subject competing for my attention.
Doesn't matter if it's mechanical engineering, software, languages, online games, practical 3D print applications, classic car restoration, biology or a hundred other subjects. The result is always the same. I can see patterns that others can't. Connect the dots between seemingly unrelated subjects.
Unfortunately I seem to forget a disproportionately large part of my knowledge, that I have to relearn when returning to a subject.
Now I *know* that there are limitations to how much and how fast the human brain can comprehend and retain knowledge. I accepted that. But I feel like I should be able to remember more than I currently am.
Many things will remain, for example I can tune a 4 barrel Holly carburetor in 1965 Ford Mustang 289 cui with a screwdriver and by sound alone, even though I haven't done it for a decade and I'm not a mechanic. Others will simply stop existing entirely. It's not that I can't remember them, it's like I never learned it in the first place. I'm a software engineer, but if you ask me to draw up the software stack from hardware to GUI, I couldn't do it if my life depended on it without looking it up first.
**Here comes the actual question.**
How do I train myself, learn methods or add procedures to optimize how large a part of the knowledge I aquire I am able retain and can recall when needed?
Are there any papers, books, YouTube channels or other resources that you would advice me to research?