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 Story You Wrote This Year
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Hello Reader, Most people treat January 1 as a starting line. But I don’t. It’s not the start of my year—but it does act as a marker. A pause. A moment quiet enough to look back without immediately rushing forward. And that’s exactly what I do. Every year, on the morning of the first, I make a cup of tea and sit down with my journal. Not to write. To read. I use a journaling app called Reflection, but this works with any journal—digital or analog. What matters isn’t the tool... it’s the act. Here’s the frame that guides me:
Over the course of a year, you write a book—one page at a time. At most, it’s 365 pages. Often fewer. And even the missing pages tell you something. And on January 1, I read that book. Not to judge it. Not to fix it. Just to understand it. If you want to try this yourself, here’s a gentle way in.
That’s it. No resolutions. No pressure to improve the story. Just the chance to witness it. One quiet side benefit: this ritual also keeps me from "celebrating" too much on New Year’s Eve. More importantly, it gives January 1 a purpose that feels human, not performative. If you try this, I hope it offers you the same thing it offers me every year: perspective without urgency. Take care... and take stock. See you later, P.S. I'll be sharing my 12 Tips of TimeCrafting live today on YouTube at 9 AM PST. You can visit the link, click the bell, and get notified so you don’t miss anything—especially if you’re easing into the new calendar year instead of charging into it. |
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.
Hello Reader, Every year on January 18, I resurface an old SNL sketch that’s very much not safe for work. The punchline? Everyone has already abandoned their New Year’s resolutions by that date. Darkly funny. Uncomfortably familiar. Yesterday also happened to be Blue Monday—that so-called low point of January where motivation dips and optimism wobbles. You can debate the science (and you probably should), but the feeling? That part’s real enough. So if the year hasn’t gone the way you...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 47 | January 17, 2026 Hello Reader, There’s an unlikely lesson hiding in The Room. By most standards, it’s a failure. The performances are awkward. The dialogue is strange. The story barely holds together. And yet, people keep showing up. Years later. Together. On purpose. The reason isn’t quality. It’s completion. Tommy Wiseau made the movie. He didn’t wait until it was perfect. He didn’t stop because it might be misunderstood. He finished it and...
Hello Reader, Most of us remember what a physical growth spurt felt like. Awkward. Uncomfortable. A little disorienting. Your clothes didn’t fit. Your coordination was off. You needed more rest than usual. And crucially—you didn’t cause it. You didn’t hustle your way into it. Your body just grew, and you had to adapt. A personal growth spurt works the same way—but we often treat it very differently. Instead of accommodating it, we try to capitalize on it. We add goals. Announce intentions....