The Lantern is a thoughtfully curated weekly email from Mike Vardy designed to help you craft a better relationship with time. Each edition brings you insights, inspiration, and practical tools through a simple yet powerful framework: Look (a thought-provoking video or visual), Listen (a compelling podcast or audio insight), and Learn (a deep dive into a key concept, article, or book). Designed to inform, inspire, and illuminate, The Lantern helps you navigate time with clarity and intention—without the overwhelm.
Quit social media... or quiet it?
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Hello Reader, I’ve recently put parameters back on how I check social media. Through the Screen Time app, I cap myself at 25 minutes ever weekday. On weekends, I double that limit. Now, I didn’t do this because I think social platforms are inherently bad. They’ve connected me with people and communities I care about. But they also can amplify the worst of what’s out there. That’s why I paused when I read Cal Newport’s renewed call to quit social media altogether that he shared last week. I understand the impulse, but I don’t think quitting is the only option. For me, the answer is to quiet social media—to curate it. That’s the idea I explore in my latest essay, Curation, Not Cremation. You can read it here. I’d love to hear where you land after reading it. – Mike |
The Lantern: A Weekly Guide to Navigating Time with Intention
The Lantern is a thoughtfully curated weekly email from Mike Vardy designed to help you craft a better relationship with time. Each edition brings you insights, inspiration, and practical tools through a simple yet powerful framework: Look (a thought-provoking video or visual), Listen (a compelling podcast or audio insight), and Learn (a deep dive into a key concept, article, or book). Designed to inform, inspire, and illuminate, The Lantern helps you navigate time with clarity and intention—without the overwhelm.
Hello Reader, This email is the third part in a short series that steps slightly outside my usual lane. I’m writing about the wage gap, payroll imbalance, and how we value work because it connects directly to the themes many of you know me for—time, attention, and productiveness. If something here resonates (or rubs you the wrong way), hit reply and tell me. Your feedback is shaping this series as I go. Inside most organizations, payroll is “the controllable.” When numbers don’t line up, the...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 29 | September 13, 2025 Hello Reader, The week started clunky. Technical headaches, email mishaps, the kind of friction that makes you wonder if everything is going to stay off-kilter. By Tuesday, things had begun to settle. Not perfect… but better. And by the time you read this, I’ll have shared an evening with friends, unwinding with conversation and laughter. The arc of those few days is a reminder of how perspective takes shape. Perspective isn’t...
Hello Reader, I want to be upfront: This is the second email in a series that is a little different from what I usually send. Normally, I’m writing about time, attention, and productiveness. But I’ve been reflecting on the wage gap, payroll imbalance, and how we define value — and I can’t help but see the connection to my own field. If you read something that resonates — or something you disagree with — I’d love to hear from you. Just hit reply and let me know. When companies make payroll...