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.
In Praise of a Boring Breakfast
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Hello Reader, Every weekday morning, I eat oatmeal. Steel-cut oats, cooked in the Instant Pot ahead of time. Nothing fancy. Nothing Instagram-worthy. On a recent call with my mom, I mentioned this in passing. Her response was immediate and unfiltered: “That’s gross.” I laughed. Because... that's fair. Oatmeal isn’t exactly thrilling. And no, it’s not my favourite breakfast either. But that’s kind of the point. Here’s the thing: oatmeal is foundational. It’s the default I don’t have to think about. I know it’ll be there. I know it’ll do its job. And I know it’ll get me through the morning without requiring a decision before I’ve even fully woken up. What does change is what I add to it. Different berries. Sometimes nuts. Occasionally something unexpected. The base stays the same, but the experience shifts just enough to keep it from feeling monotonous. That’s the balance I’m after: consistency without boredom. Working from a default removes friction. No scanning the fridge. No debating options. No “what do I feel like today?” first thing in the morning. The decision has already been made. And here’s the quiet truth: once you remove friction, you make room for variation where it actually matters. Oatmeal may not be my favorite—but it tastes better than a lot of alternatives. (Soylent, anyone?) More importantly, it respects my energy, my attention, and my time. It does what it’s supposed to do. That’s how I think about a lot of things now—not just breakfast. Defaults aren’t about settling. They’re about supporting. You build something reliable, then layer novelty on top by choice, not by necessity. And that’s how small, unremarkable decisions stop draining you... and start carrying you instead. See you later, P.S. Tomorrow I'm facilitating a workshop titled The Strategic Journal: How Reflection Becomes a System for The Grand Connection's Grand Productivity Group and it'd be great if you would join us. Click here to make that happen. |
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.
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. II, Issue 3 | March 14, 2026 Hello Reader, For years we’ve been told the same story about technology: Each new tool promises the same thing: This will save you time. Email was supposed to do it. Smartphones were supposed to do it. Productivity apps were supposed to do it. Now the promise belongs to AI. But a recent study from researchers at UC Berkeley Haas found something curious after observing a technology company for eight months: Generative AI wasn’t...
Hello Reader, When a company like Bending Spoons acquires another platform, something interesting happens. People start asking the same question: Is this still the tool I want to rely on? Sometimes the product improves, the direction shifts, or it slowly becomes something else entirely. That’s the nature of software. Tools change. Owners change. Pricing changes. Priorities change. Which is why it’s worth remembering something simple: The real system isn’t the app. It’s you. Apps are...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. II, Issue 2 | March 7, 2026 Hello Reader, Have you heard this line before? “Pressure makes diamonds.” It’s a line that can be heard everywhere. Locker rooms, keynote stages, motivational posts meant to remind us that hardship produces greatness. Except there’s one problem: Coal doesn’t become diamonds. Diamonds form deep in the Earth’s mantle, from pure carbon under extraordinary heat and pressure. Coal forms much closer to the surface from compressed plant...