Like Riding A Bike

Yesterday I re-passed the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional exam. It’s my third time taking it (2019, 2022, and now 2025). I went into it cold turkey, absolutely zero preparation, and while my score wasn’t as good as before, a pass is a pass.

I guess at this point, I’ve done enough work in AWS that the knowledge is pretty much permanently ingrained. It reminded me of this article on Buying Moves:

There’s an amazing quirk of the human body that makes fitness adaptations work a bit like powerups in a video game. You can spend some resource to add capabilities to your “character,” and if you do it right they’re always available to you (for the most part). I’m talking about muscle memory and our ability to “lock in” physical skills.

Perhaps there’s a mental version of the same phenomena?

Speaking of that link, being one myself, I’m a big fan of True Generalist. While it isn’t for everyone (and that’s okay), I can’t disagree with his take on competencies that every person should have, and further skills that generalists need to function effectively. Both worth a read if you’re this type of person.