I’m Mike Vardy, and I help people build a better relationship with time — not by controlling it, but by working with it. Through my writing, courses, and community, I explore how intention and attention shape a more meaningful life — one rooted in the original idea of productiveness over productivity.
6 Things To Think About: December 2023
Hello Reader,
2023 is about to end, with only a couple of days left in its cycle. But I’m not celebrating the start of a new year once December comes to a close. No, I have started my new year on September 1st for a long time.
But I don’t know how much longer that will be the case.
You see, I’ve been thinking more about the dynamic aspects of time compared to its static aspects, and I’ve adjusted the start of my year to coincide with the start of the school year for my kids. But my daughter is done high school now. She’s off to post-secondary in late 2024, which will start in August for her. My son will start high school in 2024, meaning that there are only 4 more years of him starting his school year in September. So does that mean I’ll change when I start my year?
Maybe. Maybe not.
It might adjust to align with their new school years, but even that won’t last long. Pretty soon my kids will be out of school altogether. Then I could go back to January 1st, like pretty much everyone else I know. The static date of January 1st might be where I wind up. Or I might just choose something that has more meaning (like my birthday).
That evolution can wait for now. But it is something that has had my attention this past month. And here are six more things that did:
- Adam Grant brought back an episode from the past this month, featuring a fascinating conversation with Daniel Kahneman. The thing that got me thinking (which is what the title of Adam’s podcast suggests should happen) is Kahneman’s thoughts on reduction of misery in the world as opposed to increasing happiness in it. The idea of reducing aligns well with my Annual Axiom for my year: Reason my path. Refine my pursuits. Respond with purpose. This is an episode well worth listening to. Check it out.
- Simplifying is a form of reduction, and decluttering is a form of simplifying. The Minimalists have put together a course on decluttering – Simplify Everything – and I believe it’s a course that will help me with my own reduction efforts. I believe it can do the same for you too. Click here to learn more.
- I’ve been fascinated by Werner Herzog as of late. He’s made appearances on a variety of shows and podcasts over the years (including Parks and Recreation and Conan O’Brien’s podcast) so it reminded me about his 24 pieces of life advice that Jason Kottke shared on his blog back in January 2015. (Kevin Kelly has some insights worth paying attention to as well, as shared in The Marginalia.)
- While resolutions might be on your mind right now, the idea of resolve is on mine. On December 29th I’m hosting a free live-streamed workshop called The RESOLVE Workshop that I believe will help you lead a life of resolve in the months ahead. You can make sure you don’t miss out on it by clicking “Notify Me” here. I’m also going to be investing more effort and attention to my YouTube channel in 2024 so if you’re not already subscribed, then make that happen by clicking on the “Subscribe” button when you visit the free workshop page.
- What if you could take a single pill to overcome a paralyzing fear? Would you take it? The idea may not be as far-fetched as you think.
- A new calendar year means time for new approaches and taking time for annual alignment. That’s why it’s time for my annual audience survey. I’m offering one free 60 minute coaching call to a random respondent that can be cashed in anytime during 2024. All you need to do is complete the survey in full before January 15th to be entered to win. Click here to get started with the survey now.
That’s all for this edition of 6 Things to Think About. I’ll be back with the next edition at the end of January. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of 2023 and I hope you have a promising start to 2024. And I also hope that promising start leads to productiveness that lasts the whole year through.
See you later,
Mike
P.S. December 31st is your last chance to purchase a Time Management Tune-Up session until this time next year. Click here to secure this offer now!
The Practice of Productiveness
I’m Mike Vardy, and I help people build a better relationship with time — not by controlling it, but by working with it. Through my writing, courses, and community, I explore how intention and attention shape a more meaningful life — one rooted in the original idea of productiveness over productivity.
Hello Reader, I've spent most of my working life inside the word "productivity." I've taught it, built frameworks around it, made a career of it. And for years, something about the word itself has chafed. Productivity is a factory measurement. Output over input. It was designed for machines, and somewhere along the way we started applying it to people, and then to ourselves, and then we wondered why our days felt mechanical even when they were technically going well. There's an older, fuller...
Hello Reader, At some point, our days started keeping score. Steps counted. Streaks maintained. Tasks completed, inbox emptied, boxes ticked. Every evening now ends with a quiet tally, and every tally files the day into one of two columns: won or lost. Most of us couldn't tell you when we agreed to this. We just woke up one day already playing. Here's the trouble with the scoreboard: it can only measure what happened. It has no column for what mattered. So it's entirely possible to win the...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 2, Issue 26 | August 22, 2026 Hello Reader, Everyone I know is waiting for some version of the same thing. When the kids are back in school. When the project ships. When the inbox thins out, when the renovation wraps, when work calms down. Then the real routine starts. Then life resumes. I said a sentence out loud at a conference this summer and watched it travel farther than anything I'd actually prepared: the normal you're waiting for isn't coming back. People...