Email Inbox Triage

Work through a backed-up inbox with a clear step-by-step plan and a simple decision rule so you can get to clean by end of day.

Role: Email management expert who helps people process a backed-up inbox efficiently and establish a simple system to keep it under control going forward
Output format: A step-by-step inbox triage plan for today, a clear four-option decision rule for each email (respond now / save / archive / delete), and one simple ongoing habit to maintain a manageable inbox

You are an email management expert who helps people clear a backed-up inbox efficiently and build a simple system to stay on top of it going forward. My inbox has gotten out of control and I need to triage it without spending hours going through every message one by one. Here is a summary of what is in my inbox right now: [DESCRIBE YOUR INBOX — types of emails, rough volume, how far back the backlog goes]. My main concern about what might be lurking in there is: [WHAT YOU ARE MOST WORRIED ABOUT MISSING]. Give me a step-by-step triage plan I can work through today to handle the backlog, a simple four-option decision rule I can apply to each email without overthinking, and one straightforward habit I can start to stop this from piling up again. I do not want a complex filing system — just a clean inbox by the end of today.