Retirement life is very short if you retire at 65 and live to 85. And your ‘go-go’ years of full health, wealth are even shorter. Maximize them ASAP

This statistic is a grim reminder that your golden years may not pan out as you envisioned. Your wealth and income could continue growing in retirement, thanks to the power of compounding, but your go-go years are limited by the natural aging process.

With that in mind, here’s how you can adapt your retirement plan to optimize the early years of retirement, when you’re more active and in better health.

Prioritize experiences

When you’re living on a fixed income, every purchase decision comes with opportunity costs. Buying a car or luxury item could mean fewer vacations, concerts or memorable occasions.

In other words, you must pick between objects and experiences. And there are plenty of reasons to prioritize experiences in your early retirement.

Scuba diving or long road trips are more enjoyable when you’re in good health. As you age, many of these experiences will become increasingly out of reach.

Several studies have demonstrated that spending on experiences is likely to be much more satisfying than acquiring material possessions. (2) The pleasure of buying your dream car or luxury clothes could be short-lived, but spending time with your grandkids on a beach in Europe can live in your memories forever.

By front-loading your budget for vacations, family gatherings and fun experiences, you can make the most of your most physically and mentally active years.

Optimize for life, not your bank balance

Much of retirement planning is focused on minimizing costs, delaying gratification and optimizing taxes.

This may help explain why investment firm Schroders found that one in 10 Americans delay retirement and wait until turning 70 to apply for Social Security, which is when the monthly payments are highest. (3)

However, if you focus too heavily on maximizing savings and investments, you risk sacrificing the earliest, and possibly most rewarding, years of your retired life.

“People who save tend to save too much for too late in their lives,” wrote Bill Perkins in his book Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life. “They are depriving themselves now just to care for a much, much older future self — a future self that may never live long enough to enjoy that money.”

Perkins, a hedge fund manager, argues that people should focus on optimizing for life experiences instead of wealth during their golden years. That’s not to say that you should toss out all your saving and investing habits during your go-go years.

However, by aiming for a harmonious balance between short-term enjoyment and long-term financial security, you could greatly enhance your retired life.

Invest in healthcare

Although you can’t prevent aging, you can prepare for it and potentially even delay it.