profile

The Lantern: A Weekly Guide to Navigating Time with Intention

The Lantern is a thoughtfully curated weekly email from Mike Vardy designed to help you craft a better relationship with time. Each edition brings you insights, inspiration, and practical tools through a simple yet powerful framework: Look (a thought-provoking video or visual), Listen (a compelling podcast or audio insight), and Learn (a deep dive into a key concept, article, or book). Designed to inform, inspire, and illuminate, The Lantern helps you navigate time with clarity and intention—without the overwhelm.

A notebook with clockcs on it and a fountain pen with a small red desk lamp behind it.
Featured Post

The Power of Gratitude, Canadian Thanksgiving Edition

Hello Reader, Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada, a holiday that reminds us of the importance of gratitude. Not just in thought, but in practice. That’s why I wanted to share a book with you: Gratitude Tiger by Joel Zuckerman. It’s a book about a simple but profound idea—writing Letters of Gratitude. These aren’t your typical thank-you notes. They’re deeper, more personal acknowledgments of the people who’ve made an impact on your life. One of my favourite lines from the book is: “A Letter...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 33 | October 11, 2025 Hello Reader, During a recent re-watch of the 1984 film Footloose, something Reverend Moore said about his daughter grabbed my attention. While having a conversation with his wife, he declared that his daughter had become “willful and obstinate.” He said it like a curse — as if conviction were rebellion. That moment always stood out to me. Maybe because I’ve heard those same words used to describe anyone who dares to hold their...

Hello Reader, We hear it all the time: “I’m just hustling hard right now.” Hustle has become a badge of honour — a signal that you’re making moves, pushing through, getting it done. But at what cost? What if hustle isn’t a measure of progress, but a mask for something else? In past seasons of my work, I’ve explored that question beneath the surface, recognizing how hustle often masks something deeper. Hustle can feel productive because it’s active. It’s motion. It’s doing. But not all motion...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 32 | October 4, 2025 Hello Reader, This week I took my son to his first concert: Laufey in Vancouver. Her latest album, A Matter of Time, feels like a meditation on growth — on learning to live with and within time rather than trying to outrun it. Each song moves with ease, both delicate and deliberate. But it was the last song she performed — Letter to My 13 Year Old Self, from her previous album Bewitched — that quietly unraveled me. It’s a song...

Yellow warning sign with exclamation mark outdoors.

Hello Reader, October is ADHD Awareness Month. And since attention is such a central part of that conversation, I wanted to take a moment before the month gets into full swing to tap into yours. Firstly, the last week's edition of The Lantern was missing its LOOK, LISTEN, and LEARN section. I’ve fixed that and you can read it in full here. But I also want to share something deeper—because attention is both fragile and powerful. In The Productivity Diet I introduced the Spheres of...

The word NEW emblazoned on a red brick wall

Hello Reader, Michael St. Pierre recently shared this about The Productivity Diet: “It’s rare to find a book on productivity that feels somehow new and accessible to just about everyone.” That phrase—feels new—really stuck with me. Because what feels new isn’t always something that is new. The Stoics proved this thousands of years ago. Their ideas endure because they find fresh resonance in every era. Arnold Bennett’s How to Live on 24 Hours a Day was first published in 1910, and it still...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 31 | September 27, 2025 Hello Reader, A friend of mine was feeling the weight of work recently. They’re a musician, so when I searched for words of comfort, I found myself speaking in their language. What came out was simple: “There’s a song in your struggles.” It wasn’t advice, exactly. It was a reminder. Musicians know that tension is part of the score — dissonance comes before resolution. Without it, music loses its depth. And the same is true for...

Hello Reader, This is the final installment in my six-part series on payroll imbalance, executive pay, and the value of work. It’s not my usual territory, but I’ve written it because I believe these issues connect directly to how we use our time and attention—and to what I call productiveness. If you’ve followed along, thank you. And as always, if you have feedback or insights, just hit reply. I’d love to hear them. Over the past three weeks, we’ve explored: The Disparity Dilemma: Why...

Hello Reader, Nike made a bold move earlier this month. They’ve reframed their iconic “Just Do It” slogan into something new: “Why Do It?” That subtle shift caught my attention. For nearly four decades, Just Do It has pushed people toward action. But now, Nike is placing reflection before action—asking us to consider the why before we leap into the what. Action matters, but action without intention can drain us instead of driving us. When you put purpose before proceeding, you’re not just...

Hello Reader, This is the fifth email in a six-part series exploring wage imbalance, payroll decisions, and the value of work. I know this is a bit of a departure from what I usually write, but it connects directly to time, attention, and the idea many of you know well from my work: productiveness. If something here resonates—or misses the mark—hit reply and tell me. Your feedback is shaping this series as I go. We’ve talked about how productivity often defaults to what’s easiest to measure...