Verses 1-11
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To put this world's potential to the test, Solomon used his wisdom to gain anything and everything pleasurable or enjoyable. Anything you could possibly imagine, Solomon acquired it.
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His purpose was to learn “how to gratify the flesh” (verse 3) and to "see what was good for the sons of men." In other words, he tried literally everything this world had to offer, to see if anything truly satisfied or produced lasting good.
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He concluded that even the pleasures of life are vain. This is because the flesh is never satisfied. Remember that the sinful flesh of man always craves more and more, only to lead you to death (Romans 8:13). Don't live to gratify the desires of the flesh! You can learn from Solomon's experience that it goes nowhere!
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Verses 12-23
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Then Solomon realizes something else. Even though wisdom is far greater than foolishness, and brings great clarity and sight to the mind (verse 14), if wisdom is only used to acquire earthly possessions and pleasures, it is as meaningless as foolishness.
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In other words, you might as well be stupid if you gain wisdom only to use it for useless purposes. Wisdom is a waste if gained or used for the wrong reasons.
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Use your wisdom only to improve your earthly life, and your end will be the same as the foolish—death and obscurity.
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Do not use all your time and efforts to gain intelligence only for physical gains, or you will end up hating your life. You will have subjected yourself to stress and sorrow, striving to gain what is meaningless in the end.
Verses 24-26
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If you labor all your life to gather and collect—to gain more and more pleasure, your life will be meaningless. So what is the alternative?
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Focus on these two things:
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1. Be godly in your actions, and...
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2. Be present and content. Take joy in the food and the work you already have.
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Be righteous, be present, be content. If this is your focus. God will give you all the wisdom and knowledge you need to succeed in your endeavors, and you will have far more joy. As you grow, if you want to use your wisdom to pursue a more lucrative work, go for it. This isn't wrong; just don't pursue it to try to become content. Start from contentment with what you already have (Hebrews 13:5), and keep that attitude in everything you do.