06 - The One About Elders

07 The one about why men feel guilty doing nothing

Why do men feel guilty doing nothing? Why does resting feel like failing? Most men can't sit still for 60 seconds without reaching for their phone. We tested it on camera. The anxiety hit within 15 seconds. In this episode of Almost Macho, Preet Sagar and Dhiren Bhatia break down the Screen Prison. 6.7 inch phone. 16 inch laptop. 55 inch TV. Repeat. A life lived inside boxes. We talk about being raised to believe stillness is laziness. The South Asian household where sleeping in was a moral failing. And why men in their 30s and 40s are quietly burning out chasing a finish line that doesn't exist. If you can't handle 60 seconds of silence, this episode is for you. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why doing nothing feels worthless 01:25 These are the good old days 04:32 Grocery shopping with your wife 05:31 The shame of resting 06:48 The Screen Prison 08:08 Dubai childhood: rest was lazy 10:30 What doing nothing means at 20, 30, 40 12:50 Human Doing vs Human Being 15:00 Waiting for the other shoe to drop 18:30 Dopamine and the addiction to pings 21:00 Renting a village 23:14 Brain defragmentation 26:40 The shower scene that changed me 30:00 Finite vs infinite games 33:00 Trader or investor? 37:00 Where is happiness? 40:00 Mortality and urgency 44:33 The 1 minute challenge, live 46:00 What 60 seconds of silence felt like 49:00 Lying: the African word for doing nothing 51:00 Books and podcasts we recommend 📚 REFERENCES 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle The Bear (FX) Bridgerton (Netflix) Case 63 (Spotify Original Podcast) Simon Sinek: Finite vs Infinite Games Do Nothing Timer: https://donothingfor2minutes.com [https://donothingfor2minutes.com] 🔗 CONNECT Almost Macho Podcast Dhiren Bhatia Instagram: https://instagram.com/dhirenb [https://instagram.com/dhirenb] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb [https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb] Preet Sagar Instagram: https://instagram.com/sagarpreet [https://instagram.com/sagarpreet] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar [https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar] #AlmostMachoPodcast #MensMentalHealth #HustleCulture #DoingNothing #BurnoutRecovery #SouthAsianMen #MasculinityPodcast #SlowLiving #SimonSinek #4000Weeks #HumanBeingNotHumanDoing

06 - The One About Elders

Most South Asian men take advice from the people closest to them—parents, uncles, or neighbors—without asking one critical question: Do I actually want their life? If the answer is no, stop listening. In this episode of Almost Macho, Dhiren Bhatia and Preet Sagar dismantle the "Biological Elder" trap. We explain why biological elders provide advice from an era that no longer exists and how to find the "Reference Models" who have the scar tissue you actually need. In this episode, we unpack: * The Proximity Problem: Why your best friend is the worst person to ask for business advice. * The Disrespect Myth: Why you can respect your parents without following their outdated maps. * Role-Based Guides: Why you need different elders for being a father, a husband, and a business owner. * The 2-Step Rule: Why your mentor should only be two steps ahead of you—not 100. If you feel isolated in your 40s, this is your blueprint to find the tribe that actually pushes you forward. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Modern Elder defined 01:31 Why your parents’ era is dead 03:07 Don't take advice if you don't want their life 04:33 Why we can't do this alone 05:43 Finding Reference Models vs. Reinventing the Wheel 07:22 The Parenting Gap (Newborns vs. Teens) 12:07 Role-Based Guidance: Choosing your council 14:18 The "Emotional Maturity" Requirement for Elders 📚 REFERENCES 📘 Reference Models & Blueprints 📘 The Tribal Elder Concept ⸻ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US 🎙 Almost Macho Podcast 👤 Dhiren Bhatia 📸 Instagram: https://www.google.com/search?q=https://instagram.com/dhirenb/https://instagram.com/dhirenb/ [https://instagram.com/dhirenb/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb/ [https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb/] 👤 Preet Sagar 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/sagarpreet/ [https://instagram.com/sagarpreet/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar/ [https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar/]

The One About Boys Trip

he Secret Every Wife Suspects (The Boys Trip) Most men view a “Boys Trip” through the lens of a Hollywood cliché: drunken chaos and regret. They are wrong. For the high-capacity professional, these trips are a vital psychological survival mechanism. It is the only time most men feel safe enough to shed the “provider armor,” drop the ego, and reconnect with the version of themselves that isn't defined by a mortgage or a job title. In this conversation, we break down why modern masculinity is suffering from a lack of "shoulder-to-shoulder" connection and why your ability to lead your family depends on your ability to occasionally leave them. [TIMESTAMPS] 00:00 - The two new characters: Sanju and Baban 01:57 - Accessing the heart: The Hormozi and Tony Robbins shift 03:56 - Why indecision is the silent killer of growth 05:30 - Defining the "Boys Trip": The transition from Man to Boy 07:03 - Why "The Hangover" movie ruined the reputation of male bonding 08:52 - Alter Egos: Why we need Sanju and Baban to survive 12:56 - Why better men make better fathers (The recharge principle) 15:51 - How to frame "What's good for me is good for us" 17:19 - Why men talk shoulder-to-shoulder, not face-to-face 21:13 - The Strategy: How to pitch a boys trip to your wife 26:30 - The #1 Rule: Whatever happens, stays there 30:41 - Masculinity requires challenge: Why comfort is the enemy 34:32 - The Thailand Triathlon: Fuelled by pure competition 39:17 - Napoleon Hill, luck, and being prepared for the win If you’re ready to take action from this episode - Download the Debrief here https://almost-macho.kit.com/theoneaboutboystrip [https://almost-macho.kit.com/theoneaboutboystrip] 📚 REFERENCES 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkman https://amzn.to/4sGQClb [https://amzn.to/4sGQClb] The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle https://amzn.to/3OwNquw [https://amzn.to/3OwNquw] Case 63 (Podcast Recommendation) https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/case-63/id1703294291 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/case-63/id1703294291] 🔗 CONNECT WITH US 🎙 Almost Macho Podcast 👤 Dhiren Bhatia 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/dhirenb/ [https://instagram.com/dhirenb/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb/ [https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb/] 👤 Preet Sagar 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/sagarpreet/ [https://instagram.com/sagarpreet/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar/ [https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar/]

The One About Less Goals More Wins

The 20s were for learning. The 30s were for building. The 40s require focus. Most men don’t fail because they lack ambition. They fail because they chase too many goals. In this episode of Almost Macho, we break down our annual review process and why setting one meaningful goal beats chasing five half-finished ones. We talk about: • How to properly close your year • The 7 domains of life • Why vision should be loose, not perfect • The power of one Big Hairy Audacious Goal • Identity over outcome • Consistency over intensity • Why most goal-setting systems fail Less goals. More wins. If you’re tired of resetting your life every January, this episode will change how you plan 2026. 📚 Books mentioned: 4,000 Weeks – Oliver Burkeman The Odyssey Plan – Dave Evans & Bill Burnett Follow us: Dhiren Bhatia Instagram: https://instagram.com/dhirenbh/ [https://instagram.com/dhirenbh/] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb/ [https://linkedin.com/in/dhirenb/] Preet Sagar Instagram: https://instagram.com/sagarpreet/ [https://instagram.com/sagarpreet/] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar/ [https://linkedin.com/in/preetsagar/] #AlmostMacho #GoalSetting #Consistency #ModernMasculinity #LifeDesign

The one about bad relationship advice

Husbands don’t usually explode. They slowly withdraw. And most wives never see it coming. No one teaches men how to handle marriage. We learn how to make money. We learn how to compete. We never learn how to love. In this episode of the Almost Macho Podcast, we break down the relationship advice most of us inherited — and why some of it is quietly damaging modern marriages: • “Be the man of the house.” • “Never go to bed angry.” • “Wives shouldn’t get special treatment.” • Emotional dumping disguised as honesty. • Why masculine and feminine energy are different — not equal. This conversation is not about blaming men. It’s not about blaming women. It’s about understanding why so many husbands feel unseen…and why so many wives feel unheard. If you’re married, dating, or planning to build a life with someone — this episode will challenge how you think about roles, communication, leadership, and connection. Because marriage doesn’t fail from one big explosion. It fades from slow withdrawal. 📚 Books mentioned: • Nonviolent Communication • The Way of the Superior Man 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations on masculinity, marriage, and modern life.