Saturday is my big day of celebrating "mid life".

In our small family "mid life" is 45 and represents half way through life as we would like to think we'll live to 90 - health permitting.

How do I feel about this?  In some respects pretty okay and others a little depressed.  I'm okay with it because I'm the same weight I was at 18 and I'm doing much to keep the body active and fit and my work and interests keep my brain active.

But I'm also depressed as if this is "half way" is it down hill from here?  On the other hand, though, most of the retired or retiring people around me are looking forward to the next phase in their career.  Some are going to travel initially, some have already set up small businesses, others are going to work as consultants and all are pretty excited.

So those retirement days don't appear to be all doom and gloom.  In fact working your own hours doing something that you really want to and being your own "boss" is certainly appealing.

Back to the party then - I'll kiss goodbye to the past 45, look forward to the next 45 and have a blast!

I recently chatted with someone who had received some good advice from a retired person.

The retired person had said that a way to remain active and productive as well as receive ongoing income was to turn one's hobby into a small business.  So it's a matter of earning while having fun and enjoying what you are doing.

I would go one step further and say that anything that you are passionate about is potentially a business in the making.  An important step is to start "moonlighting" while still actively employed, without harming your existing employer relationship.  So when that final retirement date comes you will have already built up your client base and can step into the next part of your career.

It might take a bit of creative thinking to earn from one's hobbies but consider this:

• If you enjoy reading, offer your services to proof reading manuscripts.
• If you enjoy gardening, open a small garden service that does more than just mow the lawns.
• Even the crafts such as knitting, crocheting or embroidery can be lucrative.  Pass on your skills to unemployed people and harness their efforts to creating articles that can be sold.

It will take some self-reflection, though.  Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, what you love doing, what you know well, what makes you come alive and you probably already have access to a business idea.

Much is being said about how the baby boomers or "silver surfers" are flocking to the Internet and adopting this new technology for communication, banking, researching a variety of topics and socialising.  I think it's fantastic that the older generation aren't being left behind and want to get on board. 

A number of social networking sites specifically for the older generation have developed over the years.  These take into account a cleaner design and layout, larger fonts, less colours and topics specific to an older target market.  A particular example is www.tbd.com

Online discussion groups and expert groups offer a wonderful way for retired people to connect with the world and to be able to share a lifetime of knowledge and experience with everyone.

Of course there are also online dating web sites for the single retired person and, who knows, you might end up in a successful relationship again!

The emotional shock of the sudden loss of social contact that a retiree experiences when their retirement date arrives can be devastating to many. Loneliness and depression are prevalent in the retired. After the retirement party/tea is over and you are sitting at home wondering what has happened to your life you may begin to realise that many, if not most, of the people you considered friends were, in fact, work colleagues. This is not unexpected as one spends about 75% of your waking life at work.

You may have a spouse who is either going to be continuing to work for a while or who has already retired. Either way you are going to need people to compensate for the loss of social contact that you may experience. To better prepare for this eventuality consider:

• Joining more clubs & societies now so that you can increase your potential pool of friends.
• Becoming more active in your local Ratepayers/Charity/Church.
• Joining a gym if you have not already - besides the obvious health benefit you will also meet more people.
• Looking for other ways to meet people of all ages - everyone has something to offer.
• Getting a pet/another pet.
• Joining a book club.
• Starting a new hobby: for example photography, astronomy or cake decorating.

Don't wait until the day after you retire to start finding new friends - you are less likely to be considered an outsider if you are not obviously desperate for company. Build a circle of friends and activities that you know will make your retirement enjoyable and fulfilled.