What's my age again?

And why isn't it the same as the age I feel?

Photo by Rod Long

In between the birthdays that end in 5’s and 0’s, it’s easy to forget how old you are. Part of the problem is that your actual age and the age you feel rarely line up.

In fact, a Danish study on aging found that adults over 40 perceive themselves to be about 20% younger than their actual age, meaning 40-year-olds feel like they’re 32, 60-year-olds feel like they’re 48, and so on.

Sari Botton

gets at this phenomenon in

Oldster Magazine

by asking interviewees, “Do you feel old for your age? Young for your age? Just right? Are you in step with your peers?”

While the first part of the question should elicit a more instinctual response, the latter part is where it gets complicated. Most success stories are about young glamorous athletes on TV or actors in magazines or executives on LinkedIn who’ve accomplished more at an earlier age.

The older we get, the more we may feel that we’ve missed our window of opportunity, that not only is our peak behind us, but that we don’t even remember being at the top.

But there’s no age limit on success or happiness or reaching whatever finish line you’re working towards. I think most of us feel younger than we actually are because on some level we can appreciate that we’re still working towards our smartest, kindest, most grateful selves, and every day is a day we get closer.