Are You Too Old for New Tricks?

Our thoughts about aging can create self-fulfilling prophecies. Have you ever known someone who seemed to flip a switch when they reached a certain age or milestone? “Well, I’m old now,” they may have said. If they never spoke those words, their actions likely indicated that they had experienced such self-limiting thoughts.

Can You Learn New Tricks at Any Age?

You surely know our culture’s cliche about old dogs lacking the ability to learn new tricks. We cannot offer any insights into our canine friends today, but humans have a documented capacity for learning throughout life’s journey.

Recently, a group of researchers published their findings on cognitive gains in older adults via growth mindsets. You can read the researchers’ full piece in The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. “Although the present studies are preliminary and warrant further investigation, our findings suggest that mindsets are amenable to change in later life,” the team concluded.

In short, fostering a growth mindset offers you the capacity to learn new things.

How Do You Develop a Growth Mindset?

You may already have a growth mindset. On the other hand, if you currently have a fixed mindset, the kind that makes people think old dogs can’t learn new tricks, you can still shift toward growth.

Actions like these can help you nurture a growth mindset:

• Challenge yourself to learn something new.
• Think of failure as a chance to persevere and grow.
• See others’ successes as inspiration.
• View each new day as an adventure.

With daily practice, your growth mindset will gradually develop.

Do You Feel Exceptionally Troubled by Getting Older?

If the idea of aging overwhelms you, we understand, and we hope you’ll contact us at American Behavioral Clinics. Through adult therapy sessions, our expert care team can help you discover confidence and fulfillment.