Hello Reader,

There’s been construction happening a few doors up from my house for months now. Not major, city-wide, earthmoving construction—just the slow, relentless transformation of a single home. A retrofit. A rebuild.

But a little over a week ago—after a few days of being completely sidelined by a migraine—I finally felt like I could ease back into some focused work. And right as I did, the trucks came back.

Engines idling. Beeping from reversing vehicles. The low mechanical hum of something being torn down or rebuilt. Again.

I sat there with my coffee, trying to center myself. But the headache started whispering its way back. The nausea tugged at my gut. And I could feel imaginary Mike marching down the street, ready to tell the construction crew to just stop. To pack it in. To come back some other time. To understand that this isn’t the first day this has happened and that it’s all just… too much right now.

Of course, none of that happened. Because none of that would change anything.

What I’ve been realizing—and was reminded of again today—is this:

The world is full of things I can’t control. But I still get to choose how I respond to them.

That’s what the migraine taught me, too. I couldn’t reason with it. Couldn’t track it to a single cause. I just had to let it be.

Now, unlike the migraine, this construction is visible. It’s right in front of me. I know exactly what’s causing the noise, the irritation, the edge. But just because I can point at it doesn’t mean I can control it.

And honestly, most of life is like that. You know what’s bothering you. Yet you can’t stop it. You can only decide whether it owns you—or whether you step around it.

So, I stepped around it. I chose to write through the noise. Not because I was going to find perfect focus or peace… but because I’m learning that control isn’t the point.

Presence is.

If the noise is still there next time, I’ll find a different time. Or a different space. Or I’ll simply rest again.

Not because I’ve given up. But because I’m no longer trying to win a fight I was never meant to enter.

Look

I used to think that there were only two colours of noise, white and pink. Turns out, there's a full spectrum. This short Vox video breaks down the colours of noise– and how each one affects our brains differently.

This might be worth testing the next time you need to focus, concentrate, or tune out the world. Watch the video here.​

Listen

Oscar Trimboli joined me on A Productive Conversation to unpack the difference between hearing and really listening. Noise – literal and mental – can block both.

This episode is a must if you want to go deeper in your work and relationships. Listen here.​

Learn

Sometimes the best thing you can do isn't to fight the noise. It's to notice the quiet when it shows up. In this short piece I shared on LinkedIn, I reflect on what it means to leverage the quiet moments instead of filling them.

This feels more relevant than ever... especially after the week I've had. Read it here.​

If you're on LinkedIn you can also check out my LinkedIn Learning courses I made in partnership with Madecraft, covering a variety of topics related to being productive. You can check them out here.​

The Final Flicker

There’s always something under construction. A house, a road, a plan, a part of yourself.

You don’t have to wait for the silence. You just have to listen differently.

See you later,
Mike

Thanks for reading. Your time is valuable, and I don’t take it for granted. In a world pulling us in all directions, thanks for choosing The Lantern.

Productivityist Productivity Services Inc. | 1411 Haultain Street, Victoria, BC V8R 2J6
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