Do we really need another post on productivity and time management? How is this one going to be different than all of the others? My day doesn’t lend itself to blocking out chunks, I’m not my own boss, I add more to my to-do list than I check off. This stuff just doesn’t work! And I don’t have time to read all of the other books that have come out! And why in the world is it in a fishing blog?

If you’re still with me, here is what I’m going to do. Today I am just going to introduce myself and how I do some of what I do. Over the next few weeks, I’ll throw a topic or two out there that has worked for me, including the books and podcasts that I have found most helpful in my journey. And I’ll issue a challenge for you that some will find easy, others will find hard. But I want to be practical.

My name is Ed Roden. I’m a husband, a dad, a leader and teacher at my church, a technology leader, and I love to mentor others, fish, kayak, read, travel, and be outdoors. I don’t consider myself super organized or an exceptional productivity guru, but I tend to get stuff done. And a friend challenged me to figure out what I do that is different. So this is it. It’s a journey, not a destination, and I’m still learning.

My wife Esther and I have been married for 27 years. We (read: Esther) have homeschooled three kids, with only one college student still at home, meaning two are launched. We have worked in youth ministry, taught at my church, mentored teenagers through adults, and traveled around the nation and the world.

From a business perspective, I have owned a small technology business, I have managed infrastructure for Fortune 500 companies, and I have built process and governance for IT organizations. This has involved leading teams, being on call 24×7 in a very reactive world with hundreds of email messages to process, learning new technology, and still not only finding time for family but trying to keep it first.

I love my hobbies. Flyfishing is my favorite relaxer, and some of my productivity tips are just to allow me to have time to enjoy them. This means I have had to learn to delegate, prioritize, and let go of some things.

I am a Type-A introvert who loves people and relaxing. I like my routines and checking off the items from the to-do list. But I can also procrastinate. I probably could have launched this a month or so ago. I am a guy who hates to say no and disappoint people. I struggle with FOMO (fear of missing out). I have days that I live successfully and feel as if my goal of taking over the world (ala Pinky and the Brain) is working. Yet more often than not, I live other days where life overtakes, and I lay down at night thinking I accomplished nothing.

So I have an outline of blog posts ready to go, but my ask is for you today is to respond wherever you see this (on the site, on LinkedIn, or on Facebook) and tell me what your biggest productivity struggle is, your favorite book on the topic, or your most successful tip. I want to have a conversation.