It's Never Too Late: Why Personal Growth and Spiritual Change Can Happen at Any Age

For anyone striving for success and self-fulfillment, a fascinating area to explore is the mindset of highly successful people. There's a lot to learn from the way these individuals think, and that mindset can be just as helpful when applied to spiritual or personal growth.

Steve Jobs is one of the world’s most widely recognized examples of massive success. He founded Apple, became one of the richest people in the world, and is considered one of the most influential business leaders in history. Former U.S. President Barack Obama once described Jobs as “one of the greatest American innovators” and praised him for having the courage to think differently.

When Jobs was asked about the creative ability of artists and innovators to bring something entirely new into the world, his response was striking: “Our thoughts form mental models—like scaffolding. Most people get stuck inside these mental models, and never break out.”

This, in essence, is the difference between people who break barriers and those who don’t: the ability to step outside of routine, to question the familiar, and to be open to new ideas. To reach extraordinary achievements, we need to escape fixed patterns and be willing to try something unfamiliar.

Many people are reluctant to explore Judaism deeply, not because it isn’t meaningful to them, but because they carry a mental model that “religion doesn’t relate to me". It’s not out of rebellion, but simply a lack of exposure to how deeply relevant and enriching Jewish life can be. As Jobs described, they’re stuck in a mental framework and aren’t willing to move beyond it.

The same is true for many traditional or culturally connected Jews who believe that maintaining a light connection to heritage is “enough.” They too, may feel that making major changes is too disruptive or too late in life. But again, as Jobs put it: “Most people get stuck inside these models, and never break out of them.”

Mental rigidity is often the very thing keeping someone from diving fully into a life of Torah, mitzvot, or spiritual growth. Is it really harder to make meaningful changes later in life? Let’s challenge that assumption.

Professor Sherri Willis of the University of Texas at Austin, together with her husband Professor K. Warner Schaie, conducted a groundbreaking 40-year study on aging and cognitive development. Tracking over 6,000 people between the ages of 20 and 90, the researchers tested a range of cognitive abilities.

The common belief was that peak mental performance occurs in our early 20s, which is why so many societies focus heavily on education during that stage. But the results shocked everyone: according to their findings, men’s cognitive peak was actually in their early 50s, and women maintained high performance levels well into their 60s and 70s.

The research turned conventional wisdom on its head. “For years,” Professor Willis told Calcalist Magazine, “everyone assumed that the brain and body age together, and that mental performance peaks in the late teens or early 20s. That’s why education systems around the world invest so heavily in young people. But no one expected the results we found—they show a completely different reality.”

In fact, across fields such as technology, entrepreneurship, and art, many of the most creative and productive years occur later in life. Some of the world’s greatest writers, painters, and inventors had their most fruitful years in the second half of their lives.

Even in physically demanding arenas, later-in-life success isn’t unheard of. George Foreman, for example, won a world heavyweight boxing title at age 25, retired at 35, and then, at age 45, made a comeback and won the title again. This was in a sport where most competitors are in their twenties.

Professor Gary Marcus, a cognitive psychologist at NYU, decided to run an experiment on himself to test the brain’s adaptability. At age 38, he began learning guitar for the first time, and documented his learning process. He later wrote a book called “Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning,” which inspired thousands of people to start learning new things later in life.

“A 50-year-old woman wrote to me saying she started piano lessons. A 65-year-old woman told me she began learning French. What began as a personal experiment to prove that you can always learn something new, actually changed my life,” Marcus shared.

Many people shy away from learning something new or stepping into unfamiliar territory later in life. Some hesitate to engage more deeply with Judaism out of fear that it would require major lifestyle changes. They mistakenly believe that change is harder at an older age, or that their ability to learn and grow has diminished. And yet, research and reality consistently show the opposite. In many ways, we’re more capable of deep achievement, growth, and insight as we mature.

“Too late” is not a Jewish concept. Jewish tradition teaches that at any point in life, you can move closer to your Creator. You can begin small steps toward growth, learning, and spiritual connection.

If you wake up in the morning, it means G-d believes in you. He’s giving you another day because He sees your potential. He’s whispering, “There is still hope. My son, My daughter, you can still come closer.”