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.
This is the habit that helps other habits out
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Hello Reader, When it comes to habits, there’s one in particular that’s akin to a master key. A habit that not only enhances our life but also shines a light on our other habits, providing a deeper understanding of our actions and behaviours. That habit is journaling. Let’s face it... we all have small, nagging habits that we often overlook. Perhaps you’re prone to obsessing over trivial errors, falling into the trap of perfectionism at the expense of productivity. Or maybe you find yourself name-dropping more often than you’d like, or reaching for that sugary snack when stress levels rise. Similarly, we also possess beneficial habits we might undervalue - that quick, daily meditation session in the morning, the routine of tidying up your workspace at the end of the day, or reading a few pages of a book before sleep. Journaling, in its essence, holds up a mirror to these patterns. It is the habit that allows you to track other habits. It helps you celebrate the ones you want to nurture, like regular exercise or mindful eating, and confront those you wish to break, like procrastination or mindless social media scrolling. This act of recording and reflecting has the power to expose our unnoticed habits, bring clarity, and accelerate our personal growth. The beauty of journaling is in its recursive nature; it’s a habit that essentially tracks itself. See you later, P.S. Tomorrow (Thursday, October 16th), Module 3 of TimeCrafting and ADHD — Start with a Start Date — unlocks inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. It’s designed for anyone who wants to work with their time, not against it. Much like journaling, shifting your focus from deadlines and due dates to start dates can be a powerful way to create momentum — especially when consistency feels hard to hold. You can access this course and more as a member for as little as $14/month. Just start 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.
Hello Reader, The latest monthly essay I write for Medium — The Sound of Time — started as a small reflection on why vinyl feels better than streaming. But beneath the surface, it became something else: a meditation on how time behaves when we stop trying to control it. Then there’s this week’s episode of A Productive Conversation with James Kimmel Jr. — an episode we recorded months ago that finally drops in audio format today. (Want to watch the full, unedited video interview? Here you go.)...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 36| November 1, 2025 Hello Reader, October always feels like a month in motion. The days quicken, the light shortens, and the world seems to collide with itself — baseball finishing, basketball and hockey beginning, football and soccer in full stride. It’s a season of noise and momentum. And then November arrives. A quieter month. A slower breath. It starts with no — but I like to add a W. For me, that turns it into NOWvember — a reminder to shift from...
Hello Reader, October 30 — sometime known as Devil’s Night. A fitting time to talk about what haunts so many of us: the details. The calendar gives us the directory of our days—where things live.The to-do list gives us the details—what fills them.And that’s where the devil often hides. We stare down a swarm of half-done projects and open loops. Fear sets in—the fear of forgetting, of not finishing, of facing too much at once. But fear fades when we can see clearly. That’s what Attention Paths...