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.
You need more of THIS in your "productivity diet"
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Hello Reader, I hope this message finds you well. Today, I want to explore a concept that goes beyond traditional ideas of productivity. It’s about reaching the quintessence in our tasks, projects, and overall approach to being productive. Quintessence, a term rich in history and meaning, originated from the medieval Latin ‘quintessentia’, which itself descends from the Latin ‘quinta essentia’, meaning “fifth essence”. Historically, this concept was pivotal in ancient and medieval philosophy, representing the purest, most essential substance that transcends the four classical elements of air, earth, fire, and water. In modern usage, quintessence refers to the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class. It embodies the utmost purity and concentration of essence in any substance or idea. The evolution and philosophical implications of this term are fascinating. Why Quintessence Matters That's where quintessence comes in. Embracing quintessence in our work is like discovering an essential element in our productivity diet—it enriches and fulfills beyond ordinary measures. I invite you to reflect on this concept of quintessence in your daily routines. Where can you see quintessence in your work? Perhaps it’s in the careful crafting of a client proposal, the innovative approach to a routine task, or the way you structure your day to align with your peak energy levels. So... how do you believe you can elevate your tasks to embody this richer, more fulfilling form of productivity? Feel free to reply to this email and let me know – especially if it will hold you accountable to adding this important element to your "productivity diet." I'd love to hear from you. See you later, P.S. Quintessence not only enhances our productivity but also brings us closer to achieving true quality and fulfillment in everything we do. For more insights on integrating such profound elements into your daily routine, I highly recommend Scott H. Young’s new book, “Get Better at Anything.” It’s packed with strategies to help you elevate your approach to work and life, aligning perfectly with our quest for quintessential productivity. |
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, You may have noticed things were quieter than usual from me this week. That's because I've been in it — three days of The READY Retreat with the TimeCrafting Trust community, working through the same process I've been refining for years. Reflecting, eliminating, attuning, choosing, yielding. When you step back to retreat, your usual patterns get disrupted. Intentionally. That's the point. Emails wait. The work doesn't. Now that the retreat is complete, I'm turning my attention...
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 2, Issue 12 | May 16, 2026 Hello Reader, I went for a walk this week through the kind of noise that usually makes you want to find the quietest room in the house. Café sounds. Voices. The ambient hum of a city mid-afternoon. Somewhere in the middle of all that external noise, the noise inside my head started to settle. Not because the world cooperated. Because I moved through it anyway. We spend enormous energy trying to control the conditions around us. The...
Hello Reader, You know the moment. You sat down to work. The intention was real. The task was clear. And somewhere between opening your laptop and the thing you actually needed to do, your hand moved to your phone. Not because you decided to. Just because it did. That's not a discipline problem. That's not a focus problem. That's an initiation problem — and it happens in the space before the work begins, in the half-second where habit is faster than intention. I've been saying for years that...