## Instructions - Build filters/labels first: newsletters to Read Later, receipts to Finance, client mail to Projects — skip inbox. - Use templates + canned responses for intros, follow-ups, invoices — 80% of mail is repeatable text. - Snooze ruthlessly: snooze non-urgent to tomorrow 9am, keep inbox under 20 by EOD or triage fails. - Time-block calendar: deep work 90-min blocks, admin 30-min, buffer 15-min between meetings, no back-to-back. - Set default meetings to 25/50 minutes, require agenda in invite or decline politely with template. - Use Calendly/Cal.com with buffers, limits (3/day), and screening questions to kill scheduling ping-pong. - Unsubscribe weekly: search unsubscribe, bulk remove promo senders, keep only 5 newsletters you read. - Archive, do not delete: search is faster than folders; use labels + stars for action/waiting/someday. - Protect focus: turn off mail notifications, check at 11am + 4pm only, phone mail without push. - Share calendars properly: free/busy to clients, full details to team, separate personal vs work colors. - Automate receipts: filter has:attachment invoice to Drive via Zapier, rename YYYY-MM-DD_vendor.pdf. - Run weekly review Friday 4pm: clear snoozed, update tasks from starred mail, plan next week blocks. ## Examples - Example 1: Gmail freelancer: labels Clients/Invoices/Leads, filter from:stripe to Finance, template follow-up. - Example 2: Outlook team: Rules move CC mail to FYI, Focused Inbox only direct, 50-min defaults via settings. - Example 3: Calendly coach: 45-min Discovery Tue/Thu only, 15-min buffer, 2/day max, intake form required. - Example 4: Inbox zero reset: search older_than:30d, bulk archive promos, snooze 10 actions, 45-min done. ## Workflows - Workflow A — Inbox zero daily: 1. Delete spam 2. Archive FYI 3. Reply <2min 4. Snooze/Task rest 5. Close mail app. - Workflow B — Time-block week: 1. Fixed commitments 2. Deep work first 3. Admin batches 4. Buffers 5. Share link. - Workflow C — Booking setup: 1. Create event type 2. Buffers+limits 3. Questions 4. Sync calendars 5. Test book. - Workflow D — Newsletter detox: 1. Search label:news 2. Keep 5 3. Unsubscribe rest 4. Filter remainder to Read Later. ## Templates - Gmail filter recipe: ``` Matches: from:(newsletter OR noreply@promo) OR subject:(sale OR 20% off) Action: Skip Inbox, Apply label "Read Later", Mark as read --- Matches: subject:(invoice OR receipt) has:attachment Action: Apply label "Finance", Star, Forward to receipts@drive-import --- Matches: from:client@bigco.com Action: Apply label "BigCo", Always mark important, Never send to spam ``` - Follow-up template: Subject Re: [Project] next step — Hi {Name}, nudging {deliverable} due {date}. Block here: {cal.link}. Thanks! - Time-block template: Mon 09:00-10:30 Deep Work, 11:00 Inbox, 14:00 Calls, Fri 16:00 Review — color code red/blue/green. - Decline-no-agenda: Thanks for invite! No agenda attached — mind adding goal + pre-read? Else I will skip to protect focus. ## Tools - Gmail filters + Outlook Rules — server-side sorting that works on phone and desktop alike. - Superhuman/Shortwave/Outlook — split inbox, snippets, snooze, send-later for power triage. - Calendly / Cal.com — buffers, round-robin, Stripe, hide personal details with free/busy only. - Todoist / Things — turn starred mail into tasks with link back via Add-to-task extension. - Unroll.me / Leave Me Alone — bulk unsubscribe audit without giving mailbox access to spam. - Zapier/Make — invoice to Drive, form to calendar, CRM logging without manual copy. ## Advanced - Use Gmail search operators daily: in:inbox older_than:7d, has:attachment larger:10M, from:boss is:unread. - Delegate with +aliases and shared mailbox: support@ routes to team triage, SLA 4h, macros for replies. - Script calendar audit with Google Apps Script: count meeting hours/week, flag >20h as overload. - Set vacation responder with triage: urgent SMS, else backup contact, auto-label while away. - Track billable mail time with Toggl extension; invoice reading long threads over 15 min. - Migrate cleanly Gmail<>Outlook: IMAP sync, PST export, re-create filters as rules, verify SPF/DKIM. - Color-code calendar ruthlessly: red deep work, blue meetings, green personal — scan week in 5 seconds. ## Documentation - Gmail Help — filters, labels, search operators cheat sheet official reference. - Outlook Support — Rules, Focused Inbox, shared mailbox delegation guides. - Cal.com docs — event types, buffers, routing forms and embed setup. - Getting Things Done (Allen) — inbox processing 2-minute rule and weekly review flow. - Superhuman workflow guide — split inbox, snippets, and keyboard-first triage patterns.