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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.

A stack of Mike Vardy's book, The Productivity Diet, alongside one on display.
Featured Post

It’s Here: The Productivity Diet is Ready for You!

Hello Reader, I’m in the process of sending out print copies of The Productivity Diet to the backers who supported the original Kickstarter campaign. If you didn’t back the project but still want a copy... good news! You can get the ebook or paperback now: The best way to grab the ebook is directly from me here. Prefer Amazon? No problem. Click here for either the ebook or paperback version. Want to find it through other retailers? Click here. Thanks for your support — and for making The...

Hello Reader, If you’re anywhere near Victoria, BC—or you’re up for a short trip—I’d love to invite you to a special evening I’ve been quietly planning for a while. On Tuesday May 13th, I’m hosting a launch party for The Productivity Diet at one of my favourite local spots: Koffi on Haultain. This won’t be a stuffy book event. It’ll be a cozy gathering with coffee, conversation, and a few fun (and irreverent) surprises. I’ll do a short talk, maybe a little reading, and we’ll hang out, sign...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 8 | April 19, 2025 Hello Reader, There’s something beautifully honest about wrestling. Yes, it’s choreographed. Yes, the outcomes are scripted. But the effort? The timing? The trust between performers? That’s real. Wrestling isn’t just about conflict—it’s about tension. Between who you are and who you’re becoming. Between doing the work and working the crowd. Between staying down and standing up. I’ve found myself wrestling with a lot lately. With my...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 7 | April 12, 2025 Hello Reader, We talk a lot about “spring cleaning,” but not nearly enough about what needs clearing inside. Not the stuff in the garage or the inbox—but the clutter we carry in our heads. I’ve been guilty of saying yes to too much. Of keeping too many tabs open—literally and mentally. Of holding onto ideas or projects just because they once seemed important. But I’ve learned something the hard way: clutter is expensive. Not in...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 6 | April 5, 2025 Hello Reader, Walking home from a Victoria Royals' WHL playoff win last week, my son looked up at me and asked, “Were you ever scared to do what you do now?” I didn’t hesitate. “Yeah,” I said. “I still am.” Fear’s played a role in everything I’ve done—even the things I’m proud of. And for a long time, I let it keep me stuck. From the outside, things looked fine. I was showing up, getting things done, moving forward. But fear has a way...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 5 | March 29, 2025 Hello Reader, We don’t like stopping. We convince ourselves that rest equals laziness, that pausing means falling behind. But what if stopping was actually a strategy? When was the last time you gave yourself permission to pause? We push through exhaustion. We ignore burnout. We tell ourselves, “Just one more thing,” before allowing a break. But here’s what I’ve learned: Pausing isn’t quitting—it’s recalibrating. The best athletes...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 4 | March 22, 2025 Hello Reader, March is weird. Not quite winter, not quite spring. Some days, the world feels new and full of possibility. Other days, it’s cold and uninviting. Change is happening, but it’s not immediate—it’s gradual, unpredictable, and sometimes messy. I remember one year when I was waiting for a big shift in my life. I had put in the work. I knew the transition was coming. But I was stuck in the middle—the limbo where nothing is...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 3 | March 15, 2025 Hello Reader, Starting something new always feels exciting. A new project. A fresh habit. A commitment to change. You’re energized, focused, and convinced this time will be different. And then? The enthusiasm... fades. This is where most people quit—not because their goal was impossible, but because they expected motivation to carry them the whole way. And when it doesn’t? It feels like failure. But here’s the truth: This moment—right...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 2 | March 8, 2025 Hello Reader, This weekend, you “lose” an hour. Or at least, that’s how it feels. Daylight Savings forces an adjustment overnight. One day, your routine makes sense. The next, your body is confused, your sleep is off, and the rhythms you counted on feel disrupted. Sound familiar? It’s not just about the clocks—it’s about how we experience time. How often do we force ourselves into someone else’s rhythm? A work schedule that doesn’t...

The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 1 | March 1, 2025 Hello Reader, You’ve probably been here before... The calendar year starts, and you make plans. You set goals. You even build routines that feel solid. But somehow, it still doesn’t feel like the year has fully started. That’s because January is a test. February is a warm-up. March? That’s the real beginning. Think about it—January forces you into action before you’ve even processed the past year. February is short, still a bit...