I was a guest on the World’s Greatest Dad podcast yesterday. And let me be clear, I’m far from claiming that title myself. What I can say, though, is that I’m doing my best.
They asked me: What’s the single biggest lesson I’ve learned? After interviewing over 250 of the highest-performing, middle-aged men in the world, and through my own personal growth and transformation, the answer was obvious: simplicity.
Why Simplicity Wins
Every man I’ve spoken with—married or single, fathers or not, CEOs or creatives—who has sustained success shares one common thread: they don’t major in the minors. They have simple, measurable, quantifiable standards and systems. They don’t chase every new trend or fad. They prioritize the basics over biohacking. They don’t live on the extremes of “all in” or “all out.” There’s an understanding of productivity over perpetual busyness. They’ve learned to master their own middle.
And here’s the truth: simple is hard.
And I’ll even take it one step further:
Doing simple well is exceptionally hard. Which is why most people don’t do it.
If things are “complicated” we can use that complication as an excuse to do nothing because, you know, “it’s complicated”.
Looking back, I was one of those people. I complicated the shit out of my life for too many years to count.
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The Best Know That Simple Is Best
The best chefs cook with the highest quality and the fewest ingredients.
The best designers use the highest quality fabrics and create iconic, clean, timeless pieces.
The best trainers don’t reinvent the wheel. They master and repeat the basics: push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, load, recover.
The best investors play the long game: buy, hold, reinvest, and let compound interest do its work.
The best times I’ve had with my family haven’t been the most expensive or adventurous. They’ve been the unplanned, unexpected moments when we were simply together.
The best days I have are the least “sexy.” Sleep well. Eat well. Train hard but not complicated. Work smart in short bursts. Walk my dogs. Connect with my family. Read. Write. Repeat.
And the most successful I’ve been, in business, in health, and in relationships, has come when I’ve kept it simple.
The Simple Values Have the Most Value
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in middle age is that you have nothing to prove to anyone. The people who impress me most these days aren’t the loudest, the flashiest, or the ones chasing relevance. They’re the ones who quietly, consistently, and simply live their values.
Robin Sharma’s rules remind us that a better world starts with the basics: make yourself better, stop following the flock, treat people with respect, and give more than you take. None of that requires money, status, or recognition. It requires simplicity and living with integrity, humility, and kindness.
Vex King said it best: “I’ve stopped being inspired by loud success.”
What moves me now are the men and women who achieve incredible things without selling their soul, stepping on others, or chasing applause. The ones who live what they preach. The ones who treat people kindly whether the cameras are rolling or not. The ones who know their worth, but are humble enough to know they’re not above anyone else. That’s the kind of greatness I aspire to: quiet, steady, and real.
And when I think about my own life, it’s never been the biggest trips or the fanciest dinners that meant the most. It’s been the little moments—the unplanned walks, the quiet dinners at home, the laughter around the kitchen table—that I’ve come to treasure. Those are the moments you’ll look back on. The ones you’ll wish you had more of.
I used to Google big houses. Now I Google tiny homes. What’s the smallest, highest-quality footprint I can have? Because more rooms means more complications.
We’re even planning to become renters in the future. Sell the house, put the money in index funds and the S&P 500—simple, proven—and get out from under the annoyances of property taxes, landscaping bills, maintenance, and endless carry costs. Renting is just… simpler.
At 52, I’ve learned that the vast majority of things I used to worry about matter very much. The trick in middle age, and in life, is knowing what does matter and doubling down on that. If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. Stop filling your life with half-hearted maybes.
Live by design, not by default. Decide what’s essential and clear the path for it to happen.
What you cut is just as important as what you keep. Elimination is a strategy, not a loss.
That’s the hard lesson. And it’s the one I keep coming back to, over and over again.
In Health,
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Greg Scheinman
Founder, Midlife Male
52. Husband. Father. Entrepreneur. Coach.
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