The 5 Daily Habits Of Men Who Die Rich (Not Just With Money)

As fathers in our 40s, we find ourselves at a critical juncture in life. The days are long, yet the years are short, and the choices we make now affect our future and that of our families.

I remember the day my wife and I found out our son was on the way. We were newlyweds living in a caravan in the backyard of my parents' house near the Blue Mountains of Australia. We had little money and had only begun building our lives together.

Having my son was the best thing that had happened to us. It forced me to get my act together in a way that I wouldn't have done had he not been on the way. I got to work and built our finances well.

But something happened that happens to many men. Work became consuming. I blinked, and he was 10. I was overweight, I smoked and drank. I'd let my life slip. I looked at him and realized I was the Dad who wouldn't be able to keep up with him as he grew. I was the Dad who would die in my 40s. I was a terrible example of how to be as a man.

This was unacceptable. It had to change.

What I've learned since then is that true wealth isn't a zero-sum game. You don't have to choose between business success and your health. You don't have to sacrifice family time to build something meaningful. The men I respect most have it all – thriving businesses, strong marriages, great relationships with their kids, and the health to enjoy it.

The tragedy I see every day are men who miss this crucial understanding until it's too late. They build empires but lose their health. They make fortunes but become strangers to their children. They reach the top of the ladder only to realize it was leaning against the wrong wall.

I want more for you. I want you to have it all.

Here are five habits I've observed in men who truly have wealth in every sense of the word:

The Hidden Currencies of a Wealthy Life

Our society has a dangerously narrow definition of success – especially for men. The markers are clear: income, job title, house size, car brand. But this definition misses everything that actually makes life worth living.

I've met men with eight-figure businesses who can't play with their kids because their backs are shot from sitting at desks for 20 years. I've known successful entrepreneurs who are on their third marriages because they never figured out how to build a business without destroying their relationships.

What's the point of all that "success" if you're not around to enjoy it? If your kids only know you as the guy who was always working? If your health is so compromised that your "retirement" is spent in doctors' offices?

True wealth isn't just financial. It includes:

• Your physical health and vitality

• The strength of your family relationships

• Your mental sharpness and wisdom

• Your sense of purpose and contribution

These aren't separate pursuits. They're interconnected currencies that either appreciate or depreciate together.

When I realized I was on track to be the dad who would die young, I understood that all my financial success would mean nothing if I wasn't here to see my son grow up. If I couldn't be active with him. If I was setting him up for the same unhealthy patterns.

What I've learned – and what I see in truly successful men – is that these different forms of wealth actually enhance each other. Being physically fit gives you more energy for your business. Having a strong family life provides emotional stability to take calculated risks. Building something meaningful fuels sustainable motivation in ways that short-term rewards never can.

The 5 Daily Habits of Men Who Die Truly Rich

1. They Move With Purpose

Men who die rich – in all senses of the word – treat their bodies with the same care they treat their businesses.

I work out hard nearly every day now – and 90% of the time, it's with my three sons. This isn't just about getting fit. It's about teaching them the value of physical health while spending quality time together. It's a double investment.

The most successful men I know make physical activity non-negotiable. They don't find time for it – they make time for it. They understand that their physical capital is the foundation for everything else.

This doesn't mean you need to become a fitness model. It means consistent, purposeful movement. It means treating your body like the critical asset it is, not a resource to be depleted.

Start where you are. Make one physical commitment this week. Keep it. Build from there.

2. They Build Their Family Like They Build Their Business

I spend quality time with my wife almost every day without fail. This isn't accidental. It's intentional.

Wealthy men – in the complete sense – approach family relationships with the same intentionality they bring to business relationships. They don't leave them to chance. They don't assume they'll thrive on autopilot.

They create systems and habits that ensure their family connections remain strong:

• Regular one-on-one time with each child

• Consistent quality time with their spouse

• Open communication about challenges and victories

• Shared experiences that build memories

These men understand that a successful business with a failed marriage is not success. That being wealthy but estranged from your children is not wealth.

Make one commitment to your family this week. A dinner without devices. A weekend morning dedicated to one child. A date night with your wife. Make it happen with the same determination you bring to your business meetings.

3. They Do The Work That Matters

The men I respect most don't just work hard – they work smart. They have clarity about what actually moves the needle in their businesses, and they focus relentlessly on those activities.

They've learned to distinguish between being busy and being productive. Between activity and achievement.

This isn't about working 80-hour weeks. It's about identifying the 20% of activities that generate 80% of your results, and ruthlessly prioritizing those.

It's about understanding that not all work hours are created equal. One hour of focused effort on your highest-leverage activity is worth more than a day of busywork.

Look at your calendar for the past week. How much time did you spend on activities that directly impact your bottom line? How much was spent on low-value tasks that could be delegated or eliminated?

Make one change to your work habits this week. Block time for your most important work. Eliminate one low-value activity. Delegate one task that someone else could do.

4. They Make Decisions Through The Lens Of Legacy

The truly wealthy men I know think beyond the quarterly report, beyond the annual bonus, beyond even their own lifetimes.

They make decisions by asking: "What would the man I want to be remembered as do in this situation?"

This isn't abstract philosophy. It's practical decision-making that leads to different choices:

• They build businesses that serve their lives, not lives that serve their businesses

• They consider the long-term impact of their actions, not just the short-term gains

• They invest in relationships that will sustain them through challenges

• They create value that outlasts their direct involvement

Start thinking about the legacy you're building – not just what you'll leave behind, but who you're becoming in the process.

5. They Practice Relentless Honesty With Themselves

The final habit I've observed in men who die truly rich is brutal self-honesty.

They don't lie to themselves about their health. They don't pretend their marriage is fine when it's struggling. They don't ignore the impact their work habits have on their children.

They look in the mirror – literally and figuratively – and face the truth about where they are and where they're headed.

This isn't about self-criticism. It's about self-awareness. It's about having the courage to acknowledge reality so you can change it.

When I looked at myself and saw the overweight, smoking dad I'd become, it would have been easier to make excuses. To tell myself I was doing it all for my family. That I'd change "someday."

But that self-deception would have cost me everything that matters.

The most successful men I know regularly ask themselves hard questions:

• Is my health trending in the right direction?

• Am I truly present with my family, or just physically in the room?

• Is my business serving my life, or consuming it?

• Am I building something I'll be proud of in 20 years?

They answer honestly, and they adjust course when needed.

Try this: Take 15 minutes this week for honest self-assessment. Where are you succeeding? Where are you falling short? Pick one area to focus on improving.

The Choice Before Us

Life will extract a price from all of us. The question is: what kind of price will you pay?

Will you pay the price of discipline – the short-term discomfort of making hard choices now? Or will you pay the price of regret – the long-term anguish of realizing what you've lost?

I've known men who built financial empires but lost their health, their marriages, and the respect of their children in the process. Their regret is palpable. And all their money can't buy back what they've lost.

I've also known men who built successful businesses while staying fit, strengthening their marriages, and raising children who admire them. They made different choices. They paid a different price.

You can have it all – the successful business, the strong marriage, the great relationship with your kids, the health to enjoy it all. Not because you've found perfect "balance," but because you've built these elements to support and reinforce each other.

The path isn't easy. It requires intentionality. Discipline. Honesty. But the alternative – the suffering born of regret – is far more painful.

The choices we make now affect our future and that of our families. Choose well.

Until next time.

I hope you have a most outstanding day.