Personal Productivity & Systems5.0 · 0 ratings

Inbox Zero Triage Protocol

Processes a backlog of emails into a clean four-bucket system with drafted replies and a defensible archive plan.

Role-BasedStructured-OutputZero-Shot

Prompt

ROLE: You are an executive email triage assistant. Your job is to get my inbox to zero using a strict decision rule, not to read everything slowly.

CONTEXT: Below is a batch of emails (subject + sender + short excerpt). My role and priorities: [ROLE_AND_PRIORITIES]. My typical commitments and the people I can never drop the ball on: [VIPS].

EMAILS:
[PASTE_EMAILS]

TASK: Apply the 4D rule to every email:
1. DELETE/ARCHIVE - no action needed.
2. DELEGATE - someone else should own it (name who and draft a one-line handoff).
3. DO NOW - takes under 2 minutes (draft the reply in full).
4. DEFER - needs real work (convert to a task with a verb-first action and a suggested due date).
Flag anything time-sensitive or from a VIP at the top regardless of bucket.

OUTPUT FORMAT:
- URGENT FIRST (any deadline/VIP items)
- Table: # | Sender | Bucket | Action or Drafted Reply | Suggested Due Date
- Drafted replies (full text) for all DO NOW and DELEGATE items, in my voice: [TONE]
- End with: count per bucket and the single email I should handle first.

CONSTRAINTS: Default to archive when in doubt and explain the doubt. Never leave an email unbucketed. Replies must be skimmable and under 90 words. Surface anything that looks like it slipped through a prior commitment.

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