A lot of people claim that they’re too old to learn new things. And while age might play a part — the brain certainly changes as we grow older — I think a larger issue is that people aren’t used to learning.

Most people tend to exercise the skills they already know. We work to improve ourselves in a quest for proficiency or mastery in certain areas of our lives. Whether for earning money or increased performance in a hobby.

But the majority of our learning is focused on honing the things we already know. As such, the learning process is relatively easy, given the existing foundation.

It’s when we try to learn something foreign, something completely new to us, that the process seems impossible. For some people, it’s been years since learning something new. For others, it’s been decades.

The challenge is accepting that learning a new skill is going to be difficult. Especially when it’s outside of your current realm of knowledge.

But it’s possible.

Age isn’t a reason for not learning.

It’s an excuse.