Limit immediate notifications to 5 sources — batch or eliminate the rest
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.
Why This Is a Rule
The three-tier structure forces a decision that most people avoid: which interruptions are truly worth the cognitive cost of immediate attention? The "5 or fewer" constraint on Tier 1 is the critical design choice — it forces you to rank your notification sources by genuine urgency and choose only the top 5 that warrant interrupting whatever you're doing.
Tier 1 — Immediate (5 or fewer): Notifications that interrupt you in real-time. Reserved for genuinely time-sensitive sources: direct messages from your manager, production alerts, family emergency contacts. These must be rare and high-signal.
Tier 2 — Batched (checked on schedule): Sources you need but not immediately. Email, Slack channels, project updates. You check these at scheduled intervals (e.g., every 2 hours) rather than in real-time.
Tier 3 — Eliminated (disabled entirely): Sources that failed the 30-day action criterion. Social media, news, marketing, app engagement nudges. You access these apps intentionally when you choose, never when they choose.
The 24-hour implementation window prevents the common pattern of classifying without configuring. Classification without action is just a plan that never happens.
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.