Is it enough? - Part 3
Building wealth involves decisions about earning and saving, using what you have, giving to others and what happens after you are gone.
I think about this through four phases: accumulation, decumulation, gifting and legacy.
Accumulation is familiar. You work, save and build assets while meeting the demands of everyday life. It can feel like everything arrives with a bill attached.
Decumulation means drawing on the resources you have built to help support your life.
Gifting asks what you want to share, with whom and when.
Legacy asks what you will leave behind, including how clearly you have organised things for those who follow you.
These areas can overlap. Giving and planning your legacy can begin while you are still building.
The point is to look beyond the habit of accumulating.
If you have spent decades putting money away, using it can feel unfamiliar. Sharing it can raise new questions. Leaving it without clear arrangements can create difficulties for loved ones.
“Is it enough?” deserves to sit beside another question.
“What do I want this wealth to do, throughout my life and beyond it?”
