I always think of it a bit like the arc of Michael Jordan's career. At 23 he could fly and was very fast, but he couldn't shoot very well, and his game was unpolished. At 33 he was far wiser, understood the game a lot better, needed to exert less energy to accomplish as much or more, and he could shoot far better and had developed a lot of useful moves to get off a shot.

I feel like our mental capabilities follow an arc of that sorts.