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ball game. Consider many business ideas for the side hustle before settling on one. Evaluate the viability of the business ideas by confirming that a ready market exists for its products or services, required finance is available to take it off the ground, and one possess the pre-requisite management capability for running the side hustle. New entrants into business have burnt their fingers by venturing into businesses they had little or no knowledge about. Others have employed close relatives to run the enterprises but failed to put in place necessary control mechanisms. The worst hit on business failure opened under-capitalized businesses that took off but closed soon after. Proper planning backed with adequate resources will enable you start viable side hustles with potential for growth. Take your time to understudy the nature of business you want to begin before committing resources into the venture. The running of a side hustle will become not only a new occupation in retirement but also a source of income. Healthy Lifestyle The old adage: “health is wealth” has stood the test of time. Good health can enable you engage in daily activities that include working to earn a living. But it is a pity that people do not take care of their health. Eat a balanced diet and engage in regular physical exercises, both of which are basics for living a healthy lifestyle. The saying: “you become what you eat” is out rightly ignored until people develop medical conditions such as obesity and hypertension. The decisions one makes now on better nutrition will have an impact on their health in retirement. Aim at meal plans that qualify as balanced diets for both your nourishment and protection from avoidable lifestyle disease such as diabetes. Physical exercises are beneficial for keeping one’s body healthy. They burn excess calories whose accumulation would cause obesity. The exercises promote blood circulation in the body to keep away cardiovascular diseases. Yet people find plausible excuses to avoid even simple physical exercises such as brisk walks. Keep the excuses at bay and make it a habit to regularly undertake physical exercises for body fitness. Sustain the keeping fit habit into retirement for the sake of your physical wellness and longevity. Family Relationships The family is an important institution whose members are expected to foster good relationships between each other and among themselves. Healthy family relationships play a key role in managing life issues that may not be handled singly. It is, therefore, crucial to maintain high quality family relationships while working and during retirement. People who live in a stable family are able to weather both internal and external storms of life. But those from problematic families are unable to obtain the family’s support in times of need. Family relationships nurtured during employment time would facilitate one’s seamless transition into retirement. Poor relationships today are bound to be carried forward and cause psycho-social adjustments in retirement a real nightmare. Friends and Community Members Social wellness dictates that you build good relationships both at work and outside, particularly in your community. Some friends made during working years may be available to lean on at different times. They can become a sounding board when grabbling with retirement issues some of which cannot be readily addressed. Maintain friendly relationships with people because you may in future need each other outside the workplace. Community members play a key role in shaping the socio-economic activities of a particular geographical location. They are a good source of ideas on addressing communal issues. Participate in current and future collective community activities to contribute towards societal well-being. Continual engagement in community development matters would pave your way into any desired future leadership roles. Eventually, taking up the roles would enable you to both give back to society and make you productively occupied in retirement. Samson Osero is an Independent Human Resource Development Consultant and Author of the book ‘Transition Into Retirement’. You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at: [email protected].