Every day I read too many blogs, too many emails, too many status updates, too many tweets...sound familiar? I have been on a mission this summer to turn the firehose down to a reasonable flow, and still feel like I am not missing out on something. Amber Naslund just wrote a post about learning how to delete, and Chris Brogan followed it up with another great entry about time management strategies. Both of these got me going (again). So, here's a run down of what I've decided to do. Mind you, I am mostly writing this for accountability purposes. I need you to hold me to this stuff. I'm counting on you.

1. Unsubscribe to any email newsletter I keep deleting but haven't read in the last two months. I say this first because it is the hardest. What if they say something earth-shattering? I'll live.

2. "Mark All As Read" is not a dirty phrase when it comes to Google Reader.

3. Learn to avoid the articles that don't help: "Five Reasons Why I Should Learn Something..." Hey--I already know I need to learn that. Give me five steps or five tips or don't give me anything. I'm already motivated.

4. Don't get lost along the way. I like Chris Brogan's idea of setting a timer to be on Twitter.

5. Reserve some time away from digital everyday. Leave the phone down at night. Ditch the laptop while watching that movie. Go outside, sit on the deck without your phone.

6. Eat right, exercise every day, get enough sleep, and encourage somebody everyday. This last one I just threw in for wellness sake.

What are you doing to manage the firehose?