Michael Rogers, MSNBC's Practical Futurist, answers your questions about how to live well and smartly in the 21^st century.

I'm 41 and I think I might have retired too young. It's not a matter of money, it's just too hard to keep myself occupied, and I worry that I'm losing it -- without a paying job, my skills and confidence are slipping away. Is the only way to live to a healthy old age just to keep on working forever?

Wow. First of all, you have to promise to share the secret of how to retire so early! On second thought, never mind. Too many of us have just figured out what we to do for a career at age 41.

Clearly you were focused more on retirement as an endpoint than what comes after you retire. And indeed, most of us aren't conscious how work provides so many aspects of our lives -- from structure and friendships to meaning and fulfillment. When it suddenly stops, the silence is deafening. To retire without at least a preliminary plan for how you'll fill that space is a big mistake at any age. [ next ]

Does that mean you need to find another salaried 9-5 job to maintain your skills and confidence? Certainly not: The daily grind has little to do with living to a healthy old age (unless of course you need the money). But we do need "work" in the sense of engaging with the world, creating meaningful change and deriving personal satisfaction in the process. It's increasingly clear that there's much truth to the phrase "use it or lose it" -- that continuing to exercise both mind and body not only maintains health but improves it.

The old notion of retirement arose in an era when lifespans were more limited -- you worked like a dog until you were 65 and then you got a few years off to catch your breath before you keeled over. That's clearly not the case any longer. With luck we're going to have a few decades to keep ourselves busy and the old alternatives -- like golf, gardening and grandchildren -- may not fully fill the bill.

Since you're in the enviable position where money is not your primary concern, an enormous number of alternatives -- both paying and non-paying -- are open to you depending on your interests and skills. But just like finding a new job in mid-career, the best fit may not fall out of the sky on day one.

Community service, working with start-up businesses, volunteering in education -- the array of post-retirement alternatives could fill a book. In fact, here are two that should get you started: Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America, by Marc Freedman and Second Acts: Creating the Life You Really Want, Building the Career You Truly Desire, by Stephen Pollan and Mark Levine. The first book is a sociological overview, but with real case studies, and quite inspiring in its vision. The second is much more of a hands-on book with instructions for how to assemble and assess alternatives.

Going to the movies used to be a treat, but it's turned into an arduous 90 minutes of inconsiderate audience members, ringing cell phones and on-screen commercials. I watch the occasional DVD, but I miss going to the theater. Please tell me the pendulum's going to swing back toward a more positive movie-going experience. [ next ]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the theater environment to get more civilized: Instead I'd put my efforts into building a better theater at home -- because someday, that's where much of Hollywood may expect you to watch their films.

The movie studios used to own the theaters, but for antitrust reasons, they were forced to divest themselves back in 1948. Ever since, the two have had an uneasy relationship, but the filmmakers couldn't survive without the theaters. Now Hollywood is making an increasing amount of revenue selling direct to the consumer -- without giving the theater owners a cut -- via DVDs, pay-per-view and soon, Internet downloads.

We're seeing a shorter and shorter "theatrical window" before films appear on DVD; one influential Hollywood producer recently said that he expected the standard window to become 30 days. Beyond that, some movies are now being released "day and date" -- available in theaters, on DVD and PPV simultaneously. (Theaters are striking back by refusing to show "day and date" movies.)

Of course this direct-to-consumer shift won't happen overnight -- the studios still need theaters to make their business work. And theaters will probably always be with us: Teen-agers need a place to go on dates and there will likely always be epics best seen on the giant screen. But as far as the future of adult-friendly theaters filled with creature comforts, I think we're going to find that, as did Dorothy, there's no place like home.

I'm considering becoming a freelance consultant -- there seems to be good money in it. But what do I do about taxes if I am not having them taken out of my paycheck? How do I continue to build credit if I am self-employed? Are there advantages to incorporating? And what about a pension or health benefits? Can I write off a portion of my mortgage if most of my work is from home?

You're right about freelance consulting. The more companies downsize, the more they look for outside help. And since the trend these days seems to involve jettisoning one's older, higher-paid employees -- the ones with experience, knowledge [ next ]

and networks -- consultants with those attributes are in increasing demand.

Don't spend too much time worrying about the financial logistics of freelance consulting. Paying estimated income tax actually gives you more control over your finances than payroll deductions and these days you can even do it online. Going freelance won't change your current credit rating and lenders are well-accustomed to freelancers -- they'll verify income with your tax returns. And there are various tax-advantaged ways to build your own pension, ranging from Keogh plans to a promising new individual 401k. Health benefits are tougher, but an increasing number of organizations such as the Freelancers Union offer group policies for verified freelancers.

You won't have an employer contributing to your pension or Social Security tax, but you will find plenty of new tax deductions, including depreciating the portion of your house that is your home office. As far as incorporating, initially you may find that it costs more than it yields in terms of tax benefits, but it's crucial if you want to make sure that you aren't personally liable for any unforeseen consequences of your consulting.

More than logistics, you need to ask yourself one tough question: Are you self-motivated enough to get out of bed every day and make things happen, rather than wait for stuff to arrive on your desk? If the answer is yes, then get your financial ducks aligned before you leave the corporate world -- make sure you have some savings and establish good credit lines -- and then take the plunge. As someone who has spent years in both the corporate and freelance worlds, with today's corporate turmoil, the latter looks better and better.

I have a small New York City apartment kitchen that I'd like to remodel before I put it on the market. Is this a good investment? How much should I plan on spending? I'm replacing cabinets, countertop, and appliances -- fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave. Should I buy top-end appliances and fixtures or is that a way I can cut costs? Or should I just wait and let the next owner remodel?

This is a tough one, particularly since you're in New York, where renovation costs are high and a surprising number of folks don't cook since it's the world take-out capital. That said, kitchen renovations [ next ]

statistically do produce the highest payback of all remodeling and if your kitchen is more than a decade old, it might be worth it. It will not only raise the sale price but in today's softening real-estate climate it could reduce the time on market, which may mean money for you as well.

Unless your apartment is already luxury class, don't go overboard with top-end appliances -- you'll save a lot by picking from the more price-competitive mid-market brands. And don't put money into custom woodworking: Simple, plain cabinets can always be refaced by the new owner.

Do you have questions about lifestyle, technology, personal finance, health or any other issues that you might face as you embark on the next phase of your life?
Send them to cognoscente@practicalfuturist.com.