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.
One week in...
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Hello Reader, A week ago, the calendar changed. That distinction matters more than we admit. The first seven days of a year are often loud: intentions declared, plans announced, energy projected forward. But a week later, something quieter shows up. Reality. Habit. Drift. Friction. Familiarity. This is where the year actually begins. Not with resolution, but with recognition. So here’s a better question than “How am I doing so far?” What has this first week revealed? About your relationship with time. You don’t need to fix anything yet. You don’t need a new plan. You just need to notice. Because clarity doesn’t come from trying harder at the start. It comes from seeing clearly... and early enough to choose differently. See you later, P.S. If this question of what truly deserves your attention is on your mind, I’ll be facilitating a session on January 13 with the Grand Productivity group hosted by Garland Coulson that looks beyond the to-do list and toward more meaningful progress. You can get your free guest pass 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.
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...