What Being "Rich" Really Means
I love the topic of "wealth", it's something I have always gravitated towards, aaaand it fills countless books and coaching programs.
But as a WeWill reader, you get my full thoughts on it for free.
For most people, being "rich" means hitting specific financial targets - a six-figure salary, a seven-figure net worth, or early retirement. The focus is overwhelmingly on money metrics, with everything else positioned as a nice-to-have afterthought.
And can you blame them? If you spend most waking hours obsessing over financial growth while sacrificing your health and relationships, chances are high you'll end up with an impressive bank account but wonder where all the joy went.
But NO, dear WeWill reader, you and I reject that narrow definition.
Being rich means having the freedom to live a balanced life that brings you joy, without sacrificing what's truly important. This doesn't mean being financially poor; it means pursuing richness in all dimensions simultaneously.
Over the past few years, I've been rebuilding my definition of wealth. I'm working toward financial stability while refusing to postpone living a rich life in other ways. I haven't reached the financial "sweet spot" yet, but I'm already wealthy in ways that matter deeply. And let me be clear: I still plan to make it biiiiggg time financially, and I truly believe I will. But this will likely be a byproduct of mastering all areas of wealth, not the other way around.
In my eyes, you're truly rich when:
Your time is mainly under your control
Your body and mind can handle challenging situations.
You've established meaningful relationships that bring joy.
You have enough financial resources to remove money stress
The truth is, we all have limited time on this planet. Those who've already achieved financial success often say the same thing: their greatest regrets aren't about money they didn't make, but about relationships they neglected, experiences they postponed, and health they sacrificed while pursuing wealth.
At WeWill+, we're not just philosophising, and we're not kidding ourselves with half-measures like "I'll start living once I hit seven figures." What I'm suggesting is simple: build all forms of wealth today, regardless of your financial position.
The Wealth Tunnel Vision Problem
I'm going to tell you something you probably already know, but need to hear: We're often trading the most precious parts of our lives for money that won't make us any happier, especially when earned the traditional way, grinding 9-5 with a shitload of overtime.
We all have that friend or family member who's always "busy," constantly tired, and postponing joy for some future date when they'll finally have "enough."
"It 's just temporary," they say. "Once I hit this target, things will calm down."
But the target keeps moving. You sacrifice joy, health, and relationships for the promise of "someday" having enough money to enjoy life fully.
The brutal irony?
By the time "someday" arrives (if ever), you've often lost the ability to enjoy what you sacrificed for.
I know what you're thinking: "But I need financial security first." I get it. But treating your 20s, 30s, and 40s as nothing but a financial accumulation phase is like training for a marathon by only playing table tennis for 20 years and then being surprised when your legs can't run when race day finally arrives.
The hard truth? "Someday" rarely comes.
The goalpost keeps moving. First, it's a fancy car, then a house, then kids, then retirement...there's always another target justifying why you can't prioritise other dimensions of wealth TODAY.
The clock is ticking. I'm building my financial foundation, too, but I refuse to wait for "someday" to start living a rich life in all the ways that truly matter here at WeWill+.
The Five Pillars of True Richness
One of the best "financial mistakes" I've ever made was cutting my 9-5 job down to 75% two years ago.
Financial suicide, right? Here's what actually happened:
That extra time fundamentally shifted my life. I gained more control over my schedule, which pays directly into my TIME WEALTH. This break from the normal 9-5 grind gives me a crazy feeling of freedom I hadn't experienced before.
By now, you know I have a strict workout routine, but with the spare time I'm able to expand into even more fitness activities, including competitions I never had bandwidth for previously (PHYSICAL WEALTH).
This very newsletter only exists because I made that decision to cut back. Those extra hours created space for ideas to emerge and develop (MENTAL WEALTH).
I would love to say I've mastered SOCIAL WEALTH, but this is an area I'm still struggling with. Being aware of this gap and writing about it here will help me prioritise it going forward. That's the beauty of this framework. It highlights both strengths and blind spots.
And I started my own business that now actually generates income (FINANCIAL WEALTH).
You can see that stepping back on one type of wealth might look like a step backwards, but in fact, it lets you see the bigger picture and thrive in every aspect. This can be interchangeable too—perhaps your SOCIAL WEALTH is suppressing other parts of your life. The key is recognising these connections.
Most people optimise for just one pillar (financial) while letting the others crumble. But when you understand that these pillars support each other, everything changes.
Let's break them down:
1 . Financial Foundation: The security to not stress about basic needs
Yes, you need enough money to cover your necessities and some extras. Research consistently shows that happiness increases with income up to about $70-90k annually, then plateaus or even declines at much higher incomes.
But here's what most people miss: the fastest way to feel financially rich isn't always to earn more – it's often to want less. Not by going full minimalist, but by getting clear on what actually brings you joy versus what you're buying to impress others or fill an emotional void.
2 . Time Sovereignty: Control over your schedule and attention
You can be a millionaire and still be time-poor. Just ask any high-powered executive who misses their kid's events, outsources basic life tasks, and hasn't taken a proper vacation in years.
True time wealth means:
Having space to think
Not being constantly interrupted.
Freedom to pursue interests outside your income-generating activities
The ability to say "no" to things that drain you
3 . Relationship Capital: Deep connection with people who matter
As Sahil Bloom points out, we have shockingly little time with our loved ones across a lifetime. The average person will spend just about 8.2 years total with their parents after turning 18. Let that sink in.
When I spent a week with my family recently, I didn't see it as "time away from work". I saw it as building wealth in one of my most important accounts. And unlike financial wealth, this is one account that has a fixed limit. You can't make more time with people once they're gone.
4 . Mental Freedom: The clarity and capacity to think independently
This pillar is about having a mind that:
Can focus deeply without constant distraction
Is free from anxiety about status and constant comparison
Learns new things regularly
Maintains curiosity and wonder
We live in a world designed to hijack your attention and manipulate your thinking. Mental wealth means having the awareness and discipline to control where your mind goes, rather than being pulled in 50 different directions.
5 . Physical Vitality: A body that enables rather than limits
What good is money or free time if your body can't do what you want it to? I don't work out to look good in photos (though that's a nice bonus). I work out because I want to be able to hike mountains, play with (future) kids, and maintain independence well into my later years.
Physical wealth isn't about having a six-pack. It's about:
Having energy throughout the day
Being free from chronic pain
The ability to engage in activities you enjoy
Sleeping well
Building these five pillars simultaneously is the real game-changer. When one pillar strengthens, it often becomes easier to strengthen the others.
Cut back work hours?! You might gain Time Wealth that lets you exercise, which gives you more energy, which makes you more efficient, which could ultimately earn you more money anyway.
See how these work together?
Practical Steps To Build All Five Types of Wealth
My thoughts have been heavily influenced by Sahil Bloom's book "The 5 Types of Wealth." It resonated so well with my perspective and gave me additional insights. I recommend reading it.
In his book, Sahil urges you to do his "Wealth Score", where you answer 5 questions about each type of wealth. But since I know you guys want some actionable steps, I'll give you my WWWT (WeWill Wealth Test), which is a 30-second exercise that reveals where you're rich and where you're poor.
Grab a piece of paper and rate yourself 1-10 on each wealth dimension. This reveals where you're thriving and where you're struggling.
For any area below a 7, ask yourself these questions:
Financial Wealth: What's one expense I could cut that doesn't bring me joy?
Time Wealth: What's one hour-long commitment I could eliminate to reclaim time?
Relationship Wealth: Who haven't I connected with lately that energises me? Schedule 30 minutes with them this week. (Shout out to Hendrik, our call today was much needed!)
Mental Wealth: What distraction could I eliminate to gain 20 minutes of deep thinking daily?
Physical Wealth: What tiny physical practice could I start today that takes under 5 minutes?
The beauty is that small actions compound. A minimal improvement in each area weekly creates massive change over a year.
Final Thought
Society tells us wealth only comes in one currency. I've learned it comes in at least five.
Don't fall for the lie that you need to sacrifice everything for financial security before you can live richly. Start building every form of wealth today.
Which dimension do you feel richest in? Which needs the most attention? Drop a comment below, I'm curious to hear your perspective on what being truly rich means to you.
