Summary

Alfonso Guerrero shares a 5-step system to manage FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by curating content through trusted sources and structured consumption habits.

Abstract

Alfonso Guerrero, a self-professed information addict, details his personal struggle with FOMO and how it drives his compulsion to stay informed across various topics. To combat the stress associated with FOMO, he has developed a 5-step system that includes identifying areas of interest, finding expert curators, preferring newsletters for content delivery, incorporating skip and cheat days, and scheduling specific times for content consumption. Guerrero emphasizes the importance of a balanced information diet and shares his preferred newsletters, podcasts, and websites that help him stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. He concludes by inviting readers to share their strategies for managing FOMO and selecting news curators.

Opinions

Guerrero acknowledges the stress caused by the desire to stay updated and the need to balance this with creative work and personal well-being.
He advocates for the use of curated newsletters as a way to reduce distractions and focus on quality content.
Guerrero believes in the value of taking regular breaks from news consumption to avoid feeling overwhelmed, suggesting the implementation of "skip days."
He endorses the idea of occasional "cheat days" to indulge in extensive information consumption without guilt.
Guerrero emphasizes the importance of choosing the right time to consume content, advocating for a structured approach to information intake.
He expresses a preference for content creators and platforms that offer clear focus and depth in their reporting, such as The Athletic and The MarkUp.
Guerrero is open to learning from others, soliciting feedback on how to improve his system for managing FOMO.

On Managing FOMO

How to improve your content diet by “hiring” curators to do the hard work

Hi, my name is Alfonso Guerrero, and I’m addicted to information.

I have a feverish desire to devour the most recent news in sports, business, politics, and tech. All of this is to avoid FOMO.

The fear of missing out (FOMO) is the feeling that people experience when they think of the possibility that they’re missing out on something new, relevant, or rewarding.

The Takeaway: Fear of missing out on perceived important events can lead to undue stress. One can alleviate this stress by building out a system that time-blocks the consumption of news.

To make matters worse, I feed my FOMO beast with an ultra-competitive character and thus have an intense inner urge to “capture” the information as soon as possible.

Over the last year, I have actively tried to identify ways to reduce stress caused by FOMO while also balancing my desire to be “in the know.” It’s been quite challenging. However, here’s a 5-step system that I found works to balance FOMO stress with the right amount of information.

1 — Find your areas of interest.

Start by identifying which topics are most appealing to you, those that drive your inner curiosity. Then, rank these in descending order of how much FOMO they cause you.

2 — Find curators in that area of interest.

Once you have identified those areas, feed your curious self and go on a search to hire your personal curators. Fortunately, finding content creators for any niche is more accessible now, thanks to the booming content economy.

3 — Choose newsletters over the web or social.

Newsletters, as intended, are delivered to email, which is as close to a distraction-free platform as you can get these days. Also, reading in an email client significantly reduces the deluge of ads we have grown accustomed to on the web and social apps. These advertisements are nothing more than distractions that limit your ability to focus on the content.

4 — Have a skip day (and a cheat day).

One of the habits that brought me sanity and expanded my capacity to work on creative projects was learning to get comfortable with not reading the news at least once a week. Implementing these “skip days” was especially beneficial in avoiding feeling overwhelmed by FOMO.

On the flip side, it’s okay to binge on information every once in a while, LOL. For me, this means visiting news websites directly and going down the rabbit hole to read and save as many articles of interest as I want.

5 — Choose a time for your content digest.

Now that you have found your areas of priority, chosen the curators you trust, and decided where to place the most focus, you can control your FOMO by building the habit of “time-gating” consumption.

Here’s an overview of the type of curators I “hire” and how I structure my content throughout the day:

Newsletters (daily — in the mornings)

Punchbowl News for all things politics The team does a fantastic job synthesizing the complexities of power and politics. They focus on the nexus of legislating and executive power and strike the sweet balance between informing intricacies while keeping their audience engaged.
TheInformation’s The Briefing. Here’s another team that really delivers quality over quantity in their niche: tech business. I learn something and leave wiser almost every time I read something from them.
The Athletic. I support journalism from companies that have a clear focus on their topics. Few are doing better than The Athletic. I love that I can customize my news ‘feed’ based on interest and teams. The Athletic business model leverages dedicated local reporters to bring fans behind the scenes of the business.
Axios AM/PM. Axios was founded by a couple of people who were part of Politico. They saw an opportunity to inform their audience without additional fluff that most traditional reportings have. In a sentence: they deliver quality news in a digestible format by focusing on what matters and why.

Audio (three to four times a week, when exercising)

TheJournal. Great daily podcast by the Wall Street Journal team in partnership with Gimlet Media. It has the right balance of discussing exciting topics in detail while also not being too long.
RecodeMedia. Ideal for learning the goings-on in the intersection of media and technology.
Decoder. The Verge’s Editor-in-Chief, Nilay Patel, is an outstanding interviewer with a childlike enthusiasm for learning from others. In addition, he masters the podcast format to gain insight from leaders.
Others: Skullduggery, Sway, Ezra Klein

Web (once or twice a week, when looking to avoid doomscrolling)

Blessthisstuff. I’m a sucker for finding cool things. The team at blessthistuff curates a good selection of goods, including books, experiences, houses, and vehicles. It’s my virtual window shopping strip mall.
Todosobrecamisetas. I have an odd obsession with football kits. This site feeds my curiosity by scooping all the new kits for each team and providing a quick review.
Rest of the World. As the name implies, this site focuses on technology and culture in places typically overlooked and underestimated.
BrandNew. A website specializing in identifying company redesigns or rebrandings and providing editorial comments on the change. I mostly look at this site to check on the creative aspects of a brand and how they connect with their intended audience.
The MarkUp. A website with a data-driven approach to journalism. Their deep dives and analyses have informed policy and been source information for congressional investigations.

As we head into 2022, I want to learn from you. I’m particularly curious to know:

How do you manage your FOMO?
How do you choose your news curators?
What alternative reading formats would you suggest?
What should I consider adding/removing?

Thanks for reading! I look forward to your comments, feedback, and suggestions.