You're Never Too Old to Learn.

The classic term "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is one of the many incorrect ideas floating around these days. First off, in a literal sense, you can teach a old dog new tricks. My dog is headed towards 8 years old and regularly learns new tricks. In fact, I should pick up a trick book and see just how many I can teach him in the coming year. Granted, it's far easier to teach a puppy not to pee in the house, how to sit, how to walk on a leash, how to shake a paw. They're basically sponges (albeit incredibly high energy sponges that never sit still) when their young. But they certainly don't suddenly become stupid or lose the ability to learn something new as they get older.

The same is true for human. The rate at which young children learn is absolutely remarkable. They pick up every little thing with seeming ease. You've probably heard of children learning music or languages without even thinking about it. Why, then, is it so much more difficult to process that information as an adult? Because over time our neurons stop multiplying at superhuman rates of speed, creating new neural pathways in our brains for every single thing we learn. We still form new neural pathways as we learn a new skill (mental or physical skills alike), just no where near as quickly.

You really just have to figure out how you learn best... no matter your age. Maybe you learn through auditory means (being told, listening, explanation, you get the drift), or perhaps you learn by reading. Both of these fall under the category of 'linguistic' learning. You learn through language. That doesn't necessarily mean you learn languages faster than others, though you may if you understand the basic structures of the language already. Other people learn through physically performing a task, like taking apart a clock and putting it back together (who needs instruction manuals anyways?). There are a few other learning styles as well, just google it and see which one sounds most like you.

So you've wanted to learn something your entire life, or perhaps you've just discovered a new interest. You might think you're too old to learn, but you're not. Don't be discouraged if you struggle for a little while... it's not always going to be easy. If it were, it wouldn't really be much in the way of 'learning', would it? It's my belief that some of the most worth-while things are those which do not come easy to us. The feeling of accomplishment that you get after you conquer something that posed a real challenge to you is incredible.

So do you want to learn to play an instrument? Speak another language? Dance? Paint? Carve wood? Design websites? What ever it is, just take a chance and start learning now... not in a year, not in a decade, now. There is ample psychology research into the area, and not only does it show that learning doesn't stop with age, it also suggests that those who continue to learn remain more agile of mine, and in better physical condition (if you're learning dance, for example). In other words, those who continue to learn new things age better than those who do not, even if it's not a life-changing amount. What will be life changing, though, is following through with a dream and not having regret for the rest of your life. I know taking on something new, following a dream, or learning again can be very intimidating. In fact, it can be down-right terrifying, but so are a lot of things in life (you know... falling in love, living alone for the first time, new jobs, big moves... the usual), so why let that stop you from following those dreams? There's no reason why you can't, I don't care how old you are, you really have no excuse. Go learn something new!