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.
What We Leave Behind (and What We Do Now)
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Hello Reader, There’s a moment in this PM Talks episode—our final one of Season 2—where the conversation drifts toward legacy. Not in a grand, carved-in-marble way. More like: What are we actually building when we simply do the work in front of us? I used to think legacy was something you could design with enough precision—like a workflow or a well-structured calendar. But the longer I’ve been doing this, the more obvious it becomes: I don’t control my legacy. None of us do. Legacy is the echo that other people hear long after the moment has passed. What I can shape—what any of us can shape—is the quality of the work we put into the world right now. That’s the shift that sits at the heart of this next chapter for me – in more ways than one. You see, I've been writing other chapters over the past several months that are almost ready for you to see. The Productivity Diet, my current book, is the how: the practical ways we move through our days, manage tasks, and keep our attention aligned. Productiveness, my next book, is the why: the deeper undercurrent of meaning, intention, devotion, and presence that makes all of that effort matter. If I wasn’t exploring this—publicly, honestly, imperfectly—I’d feel like I was stepping away from who I’m supposed to be at this stage of my life and work. And that, in a roundabout way, is probably as close to “legacy work” as I’ll ever get. If you want to follow along as Productiveness comes together—the ideas shaping it, early excerpts, behind-the-scenes looks at the framework, invitations to preview chapters, and updates on the 2026 launch—you can sign up below. It’ll be thoughtful. Occasional. And genuinely useful… not a flood of emails you’ll regret opening. Sign up for Productiveness updates I’m excited to share more of this with you. And I’m grateful you’re here as this work evolves—one intentional step at a time. See you later, |
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 weekday morning, I eat oatmeal. Steel-cut oats, cooked in the Instant Pot ahead of time. Nothing fancy. Nothing Instagram-worthy. On a recent call with my mom, I mentioned this in passing. Her response was immediate and unfiltered: “That’s gross.” I laughed. Because... that's fair. Oatmeal isn’t exactly thrilling. And no, it’s not my favourite breakfast either. But that’s kind of the point. Here’s the thing: oatmeal is foundational. It’s the default I don’t have to think...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 50 | February 7, 2026 Hello Reader, I rewatched tick, tick… BOOM! on January 26—the day Jonathan Larson’s story begins—and it hit differently this time. Not because of the ambition. Not because of the urgency. But because of how devotion shows up when it’s left unquestioned. Jonathan isn’t lacking focus. He’s drowning in it. His attention is fiercely committed to the work, to the clock, to the idea that this must happen now or it won’t happen at all....
Hello Reader, Over the past little while, something interesting has been happening inside the TimeCrafting Trust community. People have been sharing how they use other productivity methods alongside TimeCrafting—not instead of it. One member mentioned using it in conjunction with the Time Sector System from Carl Pullein. Others have talked about borrowing pieces from systems they’ve trusted for years and letting them live comfortably next to TimeCrafting. That matters to me more than you...