If the benefits of health seem distant, consider the fact that living just four more years than the average Australian life expectancy of around 80 effectively adds more than an hour to every day - could you find a use for that time?
Finances give the illusion of being our top priority because we are reminded of them with every bill we pay and cheque we receive. The daily functioning of our bodies is taken for granted because it works automatically until something goes wrong. If we're lucky, the damage is reversible.
Your assets are only of use to you if you can use them - the first response to a car accident is often: " I don't care about the car, I'm just happy we're all OK".
Retirement planning means preserving capital, providing income AND preserving the miraculous human body and mind that allow us to enjoy what we have.
Have you considered how much you should spend on mortgage repayments and superannuation without considering how much time and money to invest in preserving your physical and mental capabilities?
Does it make more sense to devote time and money (often in very large amounts) to health and life insurance, which offer a consolation benefit when it is too late, or to insuring that your health and life are well protected?
Have you ever actually considered the details of what would happen if it was you in a nursing home - your 'nest egg' swallowed by fees, your relatives not sure how often they should visit or what to talk about, your activities dictated by staff members. How many nursing home residents do you think actually thought it would happen to them?