You are not drowning because the ocean is big. You are drowning because you sip from a firehose. 🧠
My AI research agent pulled my last month of clicks: I saved over 300 links and used 5. The fix is not a new app. It is a tiny workflow you can run on a Tuesday when your brain is fried.
Step 1 - Set hard filters Pick 3-5 themes for the next 90 days. Everything else is noise. Add 2-3 questions per theme. If a post does not help answer a question, skip it. Unfollow brutally. If you have not touched a source in 30 days, cut it.
Step 2 - Tame the firehose Check feeds 2-3 times a day. Turn off nonessential alerts. Keep one Later list in your default Notes app. Phone: add Share to Notes. Desktop: pin that note to your dock.
Step 3 - Capture in 30 seconds What matters in your words, why it matters, source, 1-2 tags, next step. Example: What - Open talks with a vivid story tied to the message. Why - Hooks attention in 30 seconds. Next - Draft a 3-line opener for Monday.
Step 4 - Triage daily Spend 10 minutes emptying Later. If it does not serve a theme, delete. If it is useful now, add a next step. If useful but not urgent, move to Reference with your 30-second summary. Target: delete or archive most of it. Hoarding is not a strategy.
Step 5 - Keep a structure you will actually maintain Four buckets in your Notes: Projects, Areas, Reference, Archive. Use 2-4 tags, not 20.
Step 6 - Summarize once, use forever Make a one-pager: 1 sentence takeaway, 3 bullets, one example, source, 1-2 related notes. Future you should get it in 10 seconds.
Step 7 - Connect and label First line: [keyword] [status]. Link to 1-2 related notes. Done.
Step 8 - Make it physical Turn ideas into micro-experiments, tiny checklists, or cue cards. Information sticks when you use it.
Step 9 - Light review Day 1 skim, Day 7 use once, Day 30 decide to keep or cut. Calendar reminders only. Flashcards only for facts you truly must memorize.
Step 10 - Weekly reset 20 minutes: clear Later, scan Projects, pick one theme for the week, compress bloated notes, write one What I learned paragraph.
The catch: over-structuring kills momentum and tool-hopping burns hours. Start stupid simple, then add only what pain demands.
Takeaway: You do not need to read less. You need to keep less and use more. Filter hard, capture fast, structure light, review just enough.
What are your 3 themes for the next 90 days?