Once you have security and freedom, the next step toward a fulfilling life is learning how to enjoy it — intentionally.
This is Level 3: Enjoyment.
What This Level Means
Enjoyment is about spending your time and resources in ways that bring you joy, connection, and meaning — not comparison, status, or impulse.
Too many people earn freedom but forget to live it. They save endlessly, waiting for “someday,” or spend reactively, chasing quick dopamine hits. The key isn’t spending more — it’s spending better.
In The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life by Morgan Housel, every dollar is described as a vote for the kind of life you want. Intentional spending, he argues, turns money from a measure of success into a source of satisfaction.
Why It Matters
Research consistently shows that:
- Experiences create longer-lasting happiness than possessions.
- Anticipation of a meaningful event boosts well-being.
- Shared memories strengthen identity and connection.
As The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life by Sahil Bloom explains, the art of enjoyment lies in aligning financial, time, and social wealth — spending in ways that reflect your values, not society’s expectations.
Enjoyment done right compounds. Each experience becomes part of your life story — something that doesn’t depreciate the way possessions do.
Forms of Wealth That Shape Enjoyment
- Financial Wealth: Discretionary spending that builds memories, not clutter.
- Time Wealth: The space to actually enjoy the life you’ve built.
- Social Wealth: People to share those moments with.
- Intellectual / Spiritual Wealth: Understanding what truly brings meaning to you.
As Bloom notes, money amplifies fulfillment only when paired with time and relationships. That’s where true enjoyment begins.
Practical Steps to Cultivate Enjoyment
- Reframe your budget as a reflection of values — not restraint.
- Pre-commit to experiences that create anticipation (a trip, class, or shared adventure).
- Spend on connection. Dinner with friends often delivers more fulfillment than another gadget.
- Avoid hedonic traps. Novelty fades; rotate experiences rather than repeat them endlessly.
For me, when our kids grew up and moved out, we made it a goal to plan one big family trip each year. We see each other often, but that one trip anchors our memories.
And when it came to things like watches — I learned that the first one was exciting, the tenth was hollow. Now I buy one only for a milestone that means something. The meaning is what lasts.
Common Tensions
- Time scarcity: Experiences require time, not just money. Protect that space.
- Social comparison: Other people’s joy is not the metric for yours.
As The Art of Spending Money reminds us, true wealth isn’t about accumulation — it’s about alignment between your resources and your values.
Quick Exercise
Think of one experience you could afford this quarter that you’ll look back on fondly a year from now.
- Book it.
- Share it.
- Be fully present when it happens.
You’ll be amazed at how much satisfaction anticipation alone can bring.
Closing Thought
Enjoyment isn’t indulgence — it’s gratitude in action.
When you spend in alignment with your values, every dollar and every hour becomes an investment in a richer life.
In the next article, we’ll move up to Level 4: Connection — exploring how relationships, community, and social capital multiply our satisfaction and sustain us when challenges come.
#AlanStalcup #SatisfactionHierarchy #LeadershipWithPurpose #ArtOfSpendingMoney #FiveTypesOfWealth #IntentionalLiving #FinancialWellbeing #LifeDesign #JoyfulSpending #PersonalGrowth
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