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.
Why Do It?
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Hello Reader, Nike made a bold move earlier this month. They’ve reframed their iconic “Just Do It” slogan into something new: “Why Do It?” That subtle shift caught my attention. For nearly four decades, Just Do It has pushed people toward action. But now, Nike is placing reflection before action—asking us to consider the why before we leap into the what. Action matters, but action without intention can drain us instead of driving us. When you put purpose before proceeding, you’re not just productive in the usual sense of getting things done — you’re product-ive, producing in a way that’s aligned with your why. It’s timely, too. We live in a culture that celebrates doing for doing’s sake. But the truth is, meaning is found in the choices we make before we act, and in the reflection we give afterward. That’s what sustains progress. So here’s a question for you this week: Why do it? Your answer might just change not only what you do, but how you do it. – Mike P.S. Nike may be reframing its iconic slogan, but I’ve had one of my own for years: Stop doing productive. Start being productive. It’s a reminder that action without intention isn’t enough. If you’d like to see where this originated, you can read my 2021 piece here. |
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, Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada, a holiday that reminds us of the importance of gratitude. Not just in thought, but in practice. That’s why I wanted to share a book with you: Gratitude Tiger by Joel Zuckerman. It’s a book about a simple but profound idea—writing Letters of Gratitude. These aren’t your typical thank-you notes. They’re deeper, more personal acknowledgments of the people who’ve made an impact on your life. One of my favourite lines from the book is: “A Letter...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 33 | October 11, 2025 Hello Reader, During a recent re-watch of the 1984 film Footloose, something Reverend Moore said about his daughter grabbed my attention. While having a conversation with his wife, he declared that his daughter had become “willful and obstinate.” He said it like a curse — as if conviction were rebellion. That moment always stood out to me. Maybe because I’ve heard those same words used to describe anyone who dares to hold their...
Hello Reader, We hear it all the time: “I’m just hustling hard right now.” Hustle has become a badge of honour — a signal that you’re making moves, pushing through, getting it done. But at what cost? What if hustle isn’t a measure of progress, but a mask for something else? In past seasons of my work, I’ve explored that question beneath the surface, recognizing how hustle often masks something deeper. Hustle can feel productive because it’s active. It’s motion. It’s doing. But not all motion...