The Five Types of Wealth

A year ago I read The Five Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom, in the weeks leading up to what became a mental health crisis during our mini-retirement. As the anniversary of that crisis approaches, I feel I have been on a more intentional journey to build the other forms of wealth in my life since reading the book. Time, people, purpose, and health are the key cornerstones to wealth beyond money.

In the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) circles we focus a lot on financial wealth at the expense of other forms of wealth. The five types of wealth are: Time, Social, Mental, Physical, and Financial. What I will do is highlight the big question Sahil asks you to ponder, what a life devoid of that wealth looks like, and the three pillars of each form of wealth as he does in the book. I will then reflect on what I have been doing over the last year to build that wealth.

1. Time Wealth

How many moments do you have remaining with your loved ones?

Without Time Wealth, you stay caught in constant busyness, always moving but never getting anywhere, with little say over how your time is spent or who you spend it with.

The three pillars of Time Wealth:

• Awareness: knowing time is limited and will not last forever
• Attention: the ability to focus on what truly matters and let go of the rest
• Control: having the freedom to decide how your time is spent, and with whom

In the book Sahil writes about a conversation he had with a friend that made him realise that he would only get to see his parents fifteen more times before they died. This resulted in him transforming his life career wise and choosing to move closer to his parents so that he could see them more. This got me reflecting on the nature of the relationship I have with my father.

I remember being ambivalent and thinking to myself I would never make that change for my father as we do not have that sort of relationship. I was saddened by the reality and have been pondering on how I could have a better relationship with him. If I see my dad once every five years on average, that means I might only get to see him five more times, if I’m fortunate. Our phone catch-ups have always been short, they never last more than a few minutes. They are often tied to needing something rather than talking. When I was younger I was the one asking, now the tables have turned.

Growing up, dad was always busy working and hardly spent quality time with his children. When he was present, he was absent, as one of his phones would be ringing. Therapy has been helpful to unpack elements of our relationship. We will visit him in The Motherland next year.

I generally feel that I have control of my time, even though I work. Working part time means I have time during the week to be more present when I’m going about my days. I can take leave when I want, my employer offers flexible leave, without the constraints I faced in hospital work or in private practice, where a roster and other people’s leave had to be considered. My work schedule is slower paced. Most lunch breaks I go out for a walk, sometimes with a colleague, sometimes alone. This is a way of resetting during an ordinary work day.

2. Social Wealth

Who will be sitting in the front row at your funeral?

Without Social Wealth, you chase status instead of building the deep, meaningful relationships that actually bring lasting satisfaction and joy.

The three pillars of Social Wealth:

• Depth: a small circle of people you share real, meaningful bonds with
• Breadth: a wider circle of people who offer support and belonging, whether through friendships, community, faith, or culture
• Earned status: the respect and trust of others, built through your own actions over time, not bought or acquired

I have written about reflecting on one’s funeral and mortality as a guide on how to live an intentional life. I did reach out to close friends I had lost touch with and have been rekindling some old friendships. I have identified the people that mean the most to me and have been cultivating more time with them. The Handsome Surfer and I make an effort to enjoy quality time together. This might be going out for a walk, movie or local theatre, surf, or scuba dive.

I have been getting involved in my local community by volunteering at parkrun, participating in a singing group, attending a yoga class and attending church. Taking part in activities in my community has brought about a greater sense of connection. My world has gotten bigger.

The Handsome Surfer’s family is very close knit, they make it a priority to have gatherings outside of the Christmas period, we have been taking part in these and I have been savouring playing with our nephews as I learn from them how to play. We also made time to celebrate a milestone birthday for my aunt that resulted in catch-ups with my side of the family. I feel over the next year we will work on organising catch-ups for my side of the family that could become new traditions.

3. Mental Wealth

What would your ten-year old self say to you today?

Without Mental Wealth, life feels stuck, weighed down by self-doubt, low-purpose activities, and constant stress, with little sense of forward motion.

The three pillars of Mental Wealth:

• Purpose: a clear sense of what matters to you, guiding your decisions and refusing to live a life someone else has chosen for you
• Growth: the drive to keep developing, backed by a belief that your character and abilities are not fixed
• Space: giving yourself room to think, rest, and hear your own thoughts, rather than rushing to fill every moment

The mental health crisis during the mini-retirement was a blessing in disguise. Going through therapy has also brought more clarity about my values and what matters to me. It has given me greater insight into myself, how my upbringing has shaped me, and how I can let go of my perfectionism tendencies.

Rekindling my faith has given me a sense of a higher-order purpose and inner peace. During the psychotic episode, some of it felt like a dark night of the soul. Certain themes kept surfacing that sent me searching for meaning. Afterwards, my psychiatrist made a comment that there could be a spiritual element to what I had been through. That comment put me on a spiritual awakening journey which resulted in me re-establishing my relationship with The One who created it all.

Playing guitar and learning Spanish have been ways to foster learning and development. Mindfulness, meditation, prayer, and daily scripture reading have also been ways I have been creating space for stillness.

4. Physical Wealth

Will you be dancing at your eightieth birthday party?

Without Physical Wealth, you struggle to build the consistent habits that keep you strong, and you are left at the mercy of natural decline, especially later in life.

The three pillars of Physical Wealth:

• Movement: moving your body daily, combining strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility
• Nutrition: eating mostly whole, unprocessed food, with supplements where needed
• Recovery: consistent, good quality sleep and other habits that let your body repair itself

We recently celebrated my father-in-law’s eightieth birthday. Ten years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given less than a year to live, and he defeated it against all odds. At eighty, he still plays golf, lifts weights, and walks daily; he is in great shape for his age.

Running has been my movement of choice for the last eight years, but this year my body has been preferring walking instead. I am on track to walk farther than I ran the previous year. In December 2025, whilst I was on antipsychotic medication, I was the heaviest I have ever been: 5 kg above my baseline weight. I modified my diet and kept the walking going. Within three months I was back to my baseline weight, and I have maintained it since. I have never had issues with my weight, but since turning forty I have noticed the redistribution of body weight. I don’t lift weights currently, but I do bodyweight exercises and yoga. I get in the surf when I feel like it, which has been another form of exercise I have been doing more of this year.

I prioritise sleep even more after the health crisis. I have always been a good sleeper; I’ve always joked that someone could steal the bed I’m sleeping on and I wouldn’t notice it. I get nine hours of sleep on average.

5. Financial Wealth

What is your definition of enough?

Without Financial Wealth, you stay on a treadmill of earning just to spend, always chasing more. If your expectations grow faster than your assets, enough will always be out of reach.

The three pillars of Financial Wealth:

• Income generation: building steady, growing income, whether from your main job, side work, or passive sources
• Expense management: keeping your spending consistently below what you earn, and growing it slowly
• Long-term investment: putting the gap between income and spending into low-cost investments that compound over time

I have written about enough before. We all need to define our own definition of enough. I am not financially independent yet, though I am currently Coast FI to retire at 52, but I do have a sense of enough. If I didn’t have this, I would not have decreased my hours to half the full-time equivalent and moved to semi-retirement. I trust the processes I have set up are getting me the Financial Wealth I need. Not having to worry about money has given me room to build Time, Social, Mental, and Physical Wealth: the wealth that actually matters.

Five Words for Wealth

If I had to put the five types of wealth in my own words, I would say time, people, purpose, health, and money. I will continue to build the wealth that matters as I journey through life.

I am a year older, wiser, and all the better for having gone through adversity. You never know what life could throw your way.

Live Intentionally & Build Wealth on Your Terms