I don’t want to get old. This is not to say I don’t want to grow older. I’d be happy to double my time on earth and celebrate a post-centennial. But regardless of my biological age, I never want to actually be old—a concept I associate with rigid thinking, inflexible habits, and a resistance to change.

The thing about aging, however, is that we do get stuck in comfortable ruts. This is, in fact, one of humanity’s greatest adaptations. Through trial and error in our younger years, we discover what works for us and what doesn’t, what we like and don’t, in which environments we thrive and in which we feel threatened. And then, in furtherance of ultimate efficiency, we excise the activities that don’t resonate.We decline to put ourselves in situations we’ve deemed unpleasant. We celebrate being snug.

And, hey, that’s cool. There really is nothing sadder than someone desperately clinging to their “glory days”, acting out childish impulses in a misguided attempt to stay young. I’m pretty sure I can happily live out the rest of my days if I never again do jello shots, wear crop tops, or rack up unsustainable levels of debt. Been there, done that, couldn’t afford the t-shirt.

Yet, while there’s nothing wrong with establishing well-conceived boundaries on our behaviour, it is possible to take the impulse too far, until one day we discover that the most exciting event of the past six months was that day we went to the post office.

The middle way

All of which is to say that there’s gotta be a middle way, somewhere between too much and not enough. This isn’t simply about getting off the couch now and then, although that’s pretty critical. It’s about cultivating a mindset that invites opportunities to explore. It’s about welcoming into our life experiences that shake us up, force us to pay attention, and challenge us to change our minds.

Interestingly, this so-called “growth mindset” has become a coveted asset in today’s digital world. Given how fast business is changing, employers increasingly value people capable of adapting to rapid change and flourishing amid uncertainty. But, given that I’m my own boss, I’m not particularly motivated by my employment prospects. For me, a growth mindset is a precondition to aging without getting old. And that requires the cultivation of neuroplasticity.

In basic terms, neuroplasticity is how our brain forms new neural pathways in response to new situations. Research shows that your brain is more plastic the younger you are. As we age, our neuroplasticity declines and the ways in which we think, learn, and perceive become more fixed. Back in the day, scientists thought we were kind of doomed to become less plastic over time. Now, however, research shows we can continue to form new neural pathways throughout our lives.

Your brain… enhanced

I suspect I’m not alone in finding it totally exciting that we can take active steps to spark our minds. Exercise, meditation, intermittent fasting, and antioxidant-rich foods all stimulate neuroplasticity. So do memory training, reading, and dancing.

Exposing ourselves to new and unexpected experiences can also do the trick. This includes travelling to new places (whether it’s exotic destinations or unfamiliar areas of your own city), learning new skills (like an instrument or a different language), and entering altered states of consciousness.

It doesn’t really matter what path you take. The key is to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and discover something new—about the world around you, about the truths you hold dear, and about yourself. There may not be a fountain of eternal youth, but there is a wellspring of neural insights buried inside us begging to be discovered if we’d only just shake things up.