Balancing wealth, health and ikigai through life’s changing seasons

[SINGAPORE] In the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, one of the wisest men on earth, said: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

If we are not aware of the season we are in, we may allocate our time and other resources to the wrong purpose. When we are young, it may seem like we have all the time in the world. Decisions come easily because the cost of a misstep is easily mitigated by the abundance of years ahead.

Yet, as the seasons of life unfurl, we find ourselves with less of this precious commodity. The pressing question becomes: How do we spend our time, and where do we allocate our resources?

In this column, I share some personal stories that have shaped my thinking, and explore how the seasons of life requires us to make intentional choices around three essential domains to living a good life: wealth, health, and ikigai.

Wealth as an enabler, not a goal

If youth is springtime, then early adulthood is the summer of ambition. In my twenties, I spent most of my time pursuing personal success and wealth. I attended academic, professional and personal development courses; I worked long hours, often sacrificing weekends, holidays and my health to achieve financial success.

When I started my advisory career with an insurance company at 28 years old, I was motivated by the allure of money, titles and the privileges that came with it. I remember in August 1998, a month before my son was born, I had a tummy ache that wouldn’t go away. But I ignored the signs and carried on working until one morning, I felt an excruciating pain near my groin area. I was rushed to the hospital for a burst appendix. But I got myself discharged in just three days to close an insurance deal.

Three years later at 31, I started my own firm to pioneer fee-only wealth advisory. For the next two decades, the pace was gruelling and leisure was rare. While that season of intense work brought a lot of personal growth and satisfaction, I sacrificed time with my family, especially with my two children. Thankfully, my wife kept the family together and my children grew up well. Today, we remain close.

When I turned 40, my perspective shifted. I realised I had unknowingly and wrongly assumed that there would always be time to do the things that matter, especially with the people I love. So I began to declutter my life, reduce my expenses, and free up both time and cashflow to focus on what’s truly important today, while still setting aside for the future.

Now in my 50s, I’m even more intentional about how I spend my time. I’ve learned that it’s not just about accumulation, but about mindful allocation. What truly matters is that my financial decisions serve the life decisions I choose to make in each season of life.

Health: the quiet foundation

When we are young, health is often taken for granted. I vividly remember my army days when I could do my 2.4 km run at less than nine minutes. I could scale the hills in Brunei jungle as if nothing could slow me down. I could play badminton non-stop for five hours and run marathons. I never worried about whether my body would hold up for another adventure.

In my late 30s, I faced a sobering wake-up call. In a routine check-up, my doctor warned me about rising cholesterol. In my 40s, doctors found polyps in my colon and two non-calcified blocks in my arteries. I realised that the season of invincibility was passing. I could no longer ignore the foundations of health that would support the life I wanted. Recently, a health situation at home also meant that I need to have the health span to take care of my loved ones.

These moments marked a shift in priorities. I began to carve out time for regular exercise, made healthier food choices, and learned the importance of rest. It was not so much about adding years to my life as it was about adding life to my years.

Our health, like our time, is finite and fragile. As we age, investing in wellness becomes less about vanity and more about vitality. I have witnessed friends and family, once robust and carefree, sidelined by preventable illnesses. Their stories remind me that the season for building healthy habits is always now. And the later we do it, the lesser time we have. Health, like wealth, needs time to compound.

Ikigai: Living for what is of worth

The Japanese concept of Ikigai is about living for what is of worth. In the spring and summer seasons of my life, I found value in external achievements such as academic and professional certificates, recognition and material success. In the area of work, my ikigai was to prove to the world that Providend’s model of advice will work, so I gave most of my time to it.

Today, even as I enter the autumn season of my life, I realise that I am running out of time. My loved ones are ageing, my children have grown up and I am nearer retirement.

Today, I travel more for holidays with my family. In the area of work, I spend time not just championing growth but also nurturing successors and strengthening corporate culture. Like it or not, one day, I will have to exit my firm.

Unlike the weather, the seasons of life do not repeat. Some may not even get to experience them all. That’s why it’s so important to fully embrace the season you are in right now and have balance.

A few days ago, one of my second-generation leaders asked: “How do you balance growth and ambition with our firm’s Philosophy of Sufficiency?” My answer: it comes down to accepting trade-offs. With limited resources, we must make intentional choices and learn to be content in the seasons we’re in.

Take a moment to consider: What season of life are you in today? Where are you investing your time, wealth and energy? Are your daily choices aligned with your ikigai? Are you living with balance? As you reflect, I challenge you to make conscious and balanced decisions in these three domains:

• Wealth: Are you using your financial resources to support what matters most?
• Health: Are you investing in habits today that will sustain your well-being tomorrow?
• Ikigai: Are you allocating time and energy towards activities that give your life meaning?

In the end, we cannot control the passage of time – but we can choose how we travel through it. May you embrace your season with wisdom, courage and contentment.

The writer is chief executive officer of Providend, South-east Asia’s first fee-only comprehensive wealth advisory firm