[Xurinos]

> there's also a lot to be said for age and experience

I would propose that deliberate practice (http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/05/04/deliberate-practice-h...) is more key than age (I could be goofing off for 40 years) and experience (I could be poorly repeating the same inefficient niche for a long time).

[nitrogen]

Deliberate practice is likely more effective than age, but I suspect that, as the parent comment suggested, simply letting a concept rattle around unattended in your brain for a number of years can improve your understanding of it the next time you encounter it.