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.
How to Do a Simple Retreat (Without Overthinking It)
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Hello Reader, If you’re coming out of a busy stretch—or sensing that something has shifted but hasn’t quite settled yet—this is a good moment to pause. Not by doing more. But by retreating simply. Here’s a bare-bones guide you can use anytime. One hour. One afternoon. One day. Or spread across a few days. No worksheets. No pressure. Just presence.
That’s it. A retreat doesn’t need structure to work—it needs care. And when you return like this, gently and deliberately, the clarity tends to stay. See you later, P.S. If you want ongoing support for this kind of work—without rigidity—you can join TimeCrafting Trust Premium for as little as $14/month. It’s a place to keep practicing readiness, not chasing productivity. |
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, Every year on January 18, I resurface an old SNL sketch that’s very much not safe for work. The punchline? Everyone has already abandoned their New Year’s resolutions by that date. Darkly funny. Uncomfortably familiar. Yesterday also happened to be Blue Monday—that so-called low point of January where motivation dips and optimism wobbles. You can debate the science (and you probably should), but the feeling? That part’s real enough. So if the year hasn’t gone the way you...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 47 | January 17, 2026 Hello Reader, There’s an unlikely lesson hiding in The Room. By most standards, it’s a failure. The performances are awkward. The dialogue is strange. The story barely holds together. And yet, people keep showing up. Years later. Together. On purpose. The reason isn’t quality. It’s completion. Tommy Wiseau made the movie. He didn’t wait until it was perfect. He didn’t stop because it might be misunderstood. He finished it and...
Hello Reader, Most of us remember what a physical growth spurt felt like. Awkward. Uncomfortable. A little disorienting. Your clothes didn’t fit. Your coordination was off. You needed more rest than usual. And crucially—you didn’t cause it. You didn’t hustle your way into it. Your body just grew, and you had to adapt. A personal growth spurt works the same way—but we often treat it very differently. Instead of accommodating it, we try to capitalize on it. We add goals. Announce intentions....