By Professor Steve Peters

New research from the Department for Education’s Skills for Life campaign suggests ‘career confidence’ peaks at around 25, with 40% of adults saying they’ve lost faith in their ability to learn and develop new professional skills.

Over half believe they’re now “too old” to learn new skills, and a third feel overwhelmed at the very idea of learning something new.

The findings are striking – but not surprising.

As a psychiatrist, I see this pattern in many walks of life: psychological barriers form and become self-reinforcing.

Many people judge their capabilities on past achievements, rather than their future potential.

If you didn’t excel in a certain subject at school, you might carry that verdict for decades, assuming “I’m just not good at that”, even though the skills, mindset, and support you have now may be completely different.

But neuroscience shows us that your brain doesn’t stop developing until around the age of 30, and even after........

© LBC