Declining With Age

I guess I am just getting old. I am going to be 32 years old this September. When I started chess a few years ago in my mid 20s I hovered around 900 to 1000. I watched videos, did analysis, puzzles and lessons. Saw little improvement. So I quit, came back and hovered around 800 to 900. Quit again and now a 700 to 800 struggling to beat 500 and 600 elo players. I feel like I am playing against smurfs. I know to protect my pieces and still blunder, but the moves they make don't seem like they should be at the level they are. I guess though maybe because I am getting older so I am starting my decline so maybe I am actually a 400 elo chess.com player. My goal of getting a chess.com rating of 1000 elo with my ultimate goal of 1600 keeps getting further away. I really only play 30 minute rapid with no time controls so it's not like I dont have enough time to look over moves. I guess I am just a bit discuraged since I just lost 5 games in a row and 2 of them were rated lower in the 500 to 600 range. My pattern recognition must be getting worse and I must be playing younger people who have a sharper mind. :(

Congrats in advance

It's not the age. You are 32, that's not old. You just need to train yourself the right way. Doing your puzzles and not thinking: that move looks good i think it wins. Calculate all the way through. I checked your games a bit and see you are just blundering some pieces. Good calculation (and maybe getting a simple opening repertoire) will help a lot. I started a few years ago with chess at the age of 29. I'm now 1750 online with a peak of 1899 and I am 1720 fide. Aiming to get to 2000. You still have lots of time to improve, you just need to improve the right way. I really recommend some videos of GM Noel Studer about the right ways to improve.

I’m 79, so I can tell you “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” The main difference is how fast you can calculate. What I used to work out in seconds now takes a minute. My puzzle solutions are always way over the target time.
I hover between 1800 and 1950 on lichess. Enthusiasm has not waned with age. Love study,have a good chess library. I enjoy chess more now than when I was slugging it out in tournaments in my 20s and 30s. Hang in there.

@ egniib

I appreciate the advice. I try to use the game analysis afterward. I see the moves that should have been done but dont seem to retain it very well. I feel I still remember the basics like getting the pieces out, protecting your pieces, and simple openings since I am a beginner, but have seen my play get worse everytime I get back into the game. I leave because of burnout. After coming back and losing to supposed 500 to 600 elo players who are only supposed to know how the pieces move in discouraging though. I think I may just need to do puzzles for the next week or two and no games.

You are wrong. 500-600 players know basic endgames, openings and tactics. 100 players are the ones who only know how the pieces move.