Prompt library
Design inbox triage rules you will actually follow
If-then rules with time bounds remove the per-message decisions that make inboxes exhausting; the executable-while-tired test is the real filter. Separating triage from working stops the reply-spiral that turns 20 minutes of sorting into 3 hours of unplanned work.
Personal productivityPlan
Last reviewed July 17, 2026
The prompt
Design a triage system for my inbox.
What arrives in a typical week (types and rough volumes): {{inboxProfile}}
What I keep failing at: {{failureMode}}
Produce:
1. 4-6 triage rules maximum, each in the form "if X, then Y within Z", where Y is one of: do now (under 2 minutes), schedule (into the calendar or task list, with the message archived), delegate (with the forward template), or delete/archive unread (with the guilt-free justification).
2. For each message type in my profile, which rule catches it. Anything uncaught gets a rule or an explicit "sits in inbox" decision; no silent defaults.
3. The two-pass ritual: pass one is pure triage (no replying, however tempting), pass two works the scheduled items. State the time budget for each pass given my volumes.
4. The re-entry rule: what happens to items that bounce back after delegation or scheduling, so they cannot loop forever.
5. The weekly floor: what "inbox handled" means (not zero; a number that survives reality), and the Friday sweep that resets to it.
Rules must be executable while tired; anything requiring judgment per message becomes its own rule or gets cut.Run in idaptOpens a new chat with the prompt prefilled. Nothing sends until you press send.
Fill in the variables
| Variable | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{inboxProfile}} | What arrives and how much | about 60 daily: client threads, internal cc noise, newsletters, tool notifications, occasional urgent ops |
| {{failureMode}} | Where your current handling breaks | I open urgent-looking mail, start replying, lose the morning |