you gotta resist the urge to go "oh but i'll be leveling fishing next so i'll just save all my equipment" and instead just level them all at the same time. otherwise you end up with two retainers filled with crap you'll never use because you get one to max level and then lose motivation again.

also throw away anything that gives you equipment from two expansions or more ago. no, you don't need that precision gordian shaft. stop it. put it down. PUT. IT. DOWN.