[johnla]

If you're interested in it, you still can do it. And coding required many hours STRAIGHT of uninterrupted time to dive deep. Something that you get less and less of as you get older. Plus the distractions (Hello Hackernews).

I have a list of passion project ideas. When there's a new hot technology/language I want to learn, I apply it to one of my passion projects and it becomes more directed and focused on a goal and it goes a lot better than just goofing around aimlessly on a new language.

[NBJack]

Yes! Never underestimate the role of distractions, especially in this day and age. Social media, news sites with a steady flow of 'new' information, 10-15 second videos you can endlessly scroll thru, etc. All of that can be fun, but it will play a role in taxing your cognitive capacity.

Not everyone agrees with it, but I highly recommend checking out the concept of 'deep work' (and the book of the same name). There's nothing new about the concept, but there's a definitive history of folks who have embraced the uninterrupted time approach that have been successful with it.