Limit immediate notifications to 5 sources — batch…
Classify notification sources into three tiers—Tier 1 immediate (5 or fewer total), Tier 2 batched (checked on schedule), Tier 3 eliminated (disabled entirely)—and configure each source according to its tier within 24 hours of classification.
When This Fires
- Setting up a new phone, computer, or communication tool
- After a period of declining focus or increasing notification fatigue
- During a quarterly attention audit
- When you realize you have more than 5 sources that can interrupt you in real-time
Common Failure Mode
Putting too many sources in Tier 1 because "they're all important." If you have 15 Tier 1 sources, you have no tiers — you've just relabeled the status quo. The constraint is 5, and it should feel too restrictive. The discomfort of demoting a source from Tier 1 to Tier 2 is the point — it forces you to confront which interruptions you genuinely need versus which you've accepted by default.
The Protocol
(1) List every app and source that currently sends you notifications. (2) For each, ask: "Does this need my attention within minutes, or can it wait 2 hours?" Minutes → Tier 1 candidate. Hours → Tier 2. Never → Tier 3. (3) If Tier 1 has more than 5 sources, rank them and demote the bottom ones to Tier 2. (4) Configure your devices: Tier 1 gets sounds and banners, Tier 2 gets silent badges or scheduled checks only, Tier 3 gets notifications disabled entirely. (5) Implement within 24 hours of classification.