I'm staring down the barrel of 40 this year and have already watched plenty of Generation X friends and colleagues hit this milestone. Most seem to regard it as they might a needed kidney transplant: better than the alternative, still painful.

Then there are the guys – and it usually seems to be guys – who take it a step further and have a full-blown midlife crisis. This can involve anything from moving countries, to getting a girlfriend half their age, buying a Lotus or Porsche or having an affair with their secretary. Yes, it's all such a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason.