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.
Rejection is a Skill (and Here’s How to Build It)
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Hello Reader, Here’s something you might not hear often: Rejection is a skill. In this week’s episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Alice Draper—founder of Hustling Writers and host of My Rejection Story—to unpack how building rejection resilience can quietly fuel your productivity, creativity, and clarity. One idea that really stuck with me? “Imposter syndrome is a form of self-rejection. And that’s the most insidious kind.” If you’ve ever talked yourself out of hitting publish, sending a pitch, or asking for an opportunity because you felt like you weren’t “ready,” this conversation is a must-listen. We get tactical, too—Alice shares:
You can listen to the full episode here Even if you don’t hit play, take this with you: The fear doesn’t vanish. But the more you move through it, the less control it has over you. Talk soon, P.S. A curated selection of podcast episodes of A Productive Conversation are available in short-form audio over on Blinkist. You can check it out here. (And just a heads up: not every episode is featured—Blinkist picks select ones to spotlight.) |
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, 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...
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...