Tier your information sources
Create a three-tier source hierarchy—5-10 daily sources (Tier 1), 10-20 weekly sources (Tier 2), everything else checked only on specific need (Tier 3)—and review monthly, demoting sources that haven't changed your thinking.
When This Fires
- Setting up or restructuring your information diet
- When information consumption feels overwhelming or low-value
- During monthly reviews when evaluating source quality
- When adding a new source and deciding how much attention to give it
Common Failure Mode
Tier 1 inflation: adding sources to the daily tier because they're interesting, without removing any. Within 6 months, Tier 1 has 30 sources and daily scanning takes 2 hours — which defeats the purpose of tiering. The 5-10 cap is firm. Adding a source to Tier 1 requires demoting one.
The Protocol
(1) List all your information sources (feeds, newsletters, sites, channels). (2) Classify by impact: Tier 1 (5-10 max, daily check) = consistently changes your thinking. Tier 2 (10-20, weekly scan) = occasionally valuable. Tier 3 (everything else) = on-demand only. (3) Configure consumption: Tier 1 in your daily workflow, Tier 2 in a weekly reading block, Tier 3 accessible but not scheduled. (4) Monthly: review each Tier 1 and 2 source against the test: "When did this last change my thinking?" No recent impact → demote one tier.