Are You Time-Rich or Time-Poor? The New Definition of Real Wealth

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

We’re taught to chase a number: a certain salary, a target net worth, a specific figure in our retirement account. We believe that once we hit that magic number, we’ll finally be wealthy. Society reinforces this belief at every turn — from university career counselors pushing us toward high-paying fields to social media feeds showcasing luxury lifestyles funded by impressive incomes.

But a growing number of people are discovering a frustrating truth: you can have a seven-figure income and still feel desperately poor.

The Paradox of Financial Success

Consider Sarah, a successful investment banker who earns $850,000 annually. On paper, she’s winning at life. In reality, she works 80-hour weeks, sleeps four hours a night, and hasn’t taken a real vacation in three years. She owns a luxury apartment she rarely enjoys, drives a BMW she’s too stressed to appreciate, and has a designer wardrobe for a life she doesn’t have time to live.

Or take Michael, a tech executive pulling in $1.2 million who spends his days in back-to-back meetings he considers largely meaningless, managing teams through Slack messages sent at midnight, and saying yes to opportunities he doesn’t want because “the money is too good to pass up.” He has everything money can…