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.
Before the final full week hits…
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Hello Reader, We’re about to step into that strange pocket of the year—the final non-holiday week of 2025. The one that looks tidy on the calendar but rarely behaves. It’s a week that tends to ask more of us than it has any right to: wrapping up projects, closing loops, tying bows, attending gatherings, showing up for others, showing up for ourselves, and preparing for the holidays… all at once. It’s the week where the world turns inhuman—deadlines tighten, calendars crowd, and expectations stack seemingly sky-high. And yet… it’s the week where being human matters most. My own week ahead is packed: a few livestreams, community happenings, and facilitating an entire immersive focus day a week from today. It’s the kind of stretch that used to push me into overdrive. Now, I try to meet it differently—less like a sprint, more like a crossing. One step at a time. One intention at a time. If you’re heading into a similarly dense week, here are a few things that might help:
Don't forget: Humanness isn’t a luxury this week—it’s the lever. Treating yourself like a human being in an inhuman week is the quiet work that keeps everything else from unraveling. See you later, P.S. If you want support as you navigate the week—and the year ahead—the TimeCrafting Trust has space for you. Premium members get access to things like our iF (immersive focus) Days, daily Focus Fix sessions, monthly gatherings, and deeper guidance on shaping your relationship with time. Membership starts at $14/month and you can join us here. |
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, Most people treat January 1 as a starting line. But I don’t. It’s not the start of my year—but it does act as a marker. A pause. A moment quiet enough to look back without immediately rushing forward. And that’s exactly what I do. Every year, on the morning of the first, I make a cup of tea and sit down with my journal. Not to write. To read. I use a journaling app called Reflection, but this works with any journal—digital or analog. What matters isn’t the tool... it’s the act....
Hello Reader, We're in that strange little pocket of time that shows up every year. Somewhere between December 25 and January 1, the usual markers blur. You check the calendar and still aren’t quite sure what day it is. Monday feels like Saturday. Saturday feels like… nothing in particular. It’s easy to rush past this stretch—to treat it as filler before the “real” year begins. But this in-between space has a quiet gift. When the usual cadence loosens, so does our grip on certainty. And in...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 44 | December 27, 2025 Hello Reader, There’s a particular sound that shows up at the end of a year. It isn’t bells or carols. It isn’t noise. It’s quieter than that. It sounds like a song you’ve heard a hundred times suddenly landing differently. Like listening to Time by Pink Floyd and realizing the clock in the background isn’t theatrical anymore—it’s personal. Or hearing Dreamer by Supertramp and recognizing that the dream being sung about feels...