path: root/docs/workflows/emacs-inbox-zero.org

#+TITLE: Emacs Inbox Zero Session
#+AUTHOR: Craig Jennings & Claude
#+DATE: 2025-11-01

* Overview

This workflow processes the Emacs Config Inbox to zero by filtering tasks through the V2MOM framework. Items either move to active V2MOM methods, get moved to someday-maybe, or get deleted. This weekly discipline prevents backlog buildup and ensures only strategic work gets done.

* Problem We're Solving

Emacs is Craig's most-used software by a significant margin. It's the platform for email, calendar, task management, note-taking, programming, reading, music, podcasts, and more. When Emacs breaks, everything stops—including critical life tasks like family emails, doctor appointments, and bills.

The V2MOM (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, Metrics) framework provides strategic balance between fixing/improving Emacs versus using it for real work. But without weekly maintenance, the system collapses under backlog.

** The Specific Problem

Features and bugs get logged in the "Emacs Config Inbox" heading of =~/.emacs.d/todo.org=. If not sorted weekly:
- Items pile up and become unmanageable
- Unclear what's actually important
- Method 1 ("Make Using Emacs Frictionless") doesn't progress
- Two key metrics break:
  1. *Active todo count:* Should be < 20 items
  2. *Weekly triage consistency:* Must happen at least once per week by Sunday, no longer than 7 days between sessions

** What Happens Without This Session

Without weekly inbox zero:
- Backlog grows until overwhelming
- Can't distinguish signal from noise
- V2MOM becomes theoretical instead of practical
- Config maintenance competes with real work instead of enabling it
- Discipline muscle (Method 6: ruthless prioritization) atrophies

*Impact:* The entire V2MOM system fails. Config stays broken longer. Real work gets blocked more often.

* Exit Criteria

The workflow is complete when:
- Zero todo items remain under the "* Emacs Config Inbox" heading in =~/.emacs.d/todo.org=
- All items have been routed to: V2MOM methods, someday-maybe, or deleted
- Can verify by checking the org heading (should be empty or show "0/0" in agenda)

*IMPORTANT:* We are ONLY processing items under the "* Emacs Config Inbox" heading. Items already organized under Method 1-6 headings have already been triaged and should NOT be touched during this workflow.

*Measurable validation:*
- Open =todo.org= and navigate to "* Emacs Config Inbox" heading
- Confirm no child tasks exist under this heading only
- Bonus: Check that active todo count is < 20 items across entire V2MOM

* When to Use This Workflow

Trigger this workflow when:
- It's Sunday and you haven't triaged this week
- 7 days have passed since last triage (hard deadline)
- "Emacs Config Inbox" has accumulated items
- You notice yourself avoiding looking at the inbox (sign it's becoming overwhelming)
- Before starting any new Emacs config work (ensures highest-priority work happens first)

*Recommended cadence:* Every Sunday, 10 minutes, no exceptions.

* Approach: How We Work Together

** Phase 1: Sort by Priority

First, ensure todo items are sorted by priority in =todo.org=:
- A (highest priority)
- B
- C
- No priority
- D (lowest priority)

This ensures we always look at the most important items first. If time runs short, at least the high-priority items got processed.

** Phase 2: Claude Rereads V2MOM

Before processing any items, Claude rereads [[file:../EMACS-CONFIG-V2MOM.org][EMACS-CONFIG-V2MOM.org]] to have it fresh in mind. This ensures filtering decisions are grounded in the strategic framework.

*What Claude should pay attention to:*
- The 6 Methods and their concrete actions
- The Values (Intuitive, Fast, Simple) and what they mean
- The Metrics (especially active todo count < 20)
- Method 6 discipline practices (ruthless prioritization, weekly triage, ship-over-research)

** Phase 3: Process Each Item (in Priority Order)

*IMPORTANT:* Process ONLY items under the "* Emacs Config Inbox" heading. Items already organized under Method 1-6 have been triaged and should remain where they are.

For each item under "* Emacs Config Inbox", work through these questions:

*** Question 1: Does this task need to be done at all?

*Consider:*
- Has something changed?
- Was this a mistake?
- Do I disagree with this idea now?
- Is this actually important?

*If NO:* **DELETE** the item immediately. Don't move it anywhere. Kill it.

*Examples of deletions:*
- "Add Signal client to Emacs" - Cool idea, not important
- "Try minimap mode" - Interesting, doesn't serve vision
- "Research 5 different completion frameworks" - Already have Vertico/Corfu, stop researching

*** Question 2: Is this task related to the Emacs Config V2MOM?

*If NO:* **Move to** =docs/someday-maybe.org=

These are tasks that might be good ideas but don't serve the current strategic focus. They're not deleted (might revisit later) but they're out of active consideration.

*Examples:*
- LaTeX improvements (no concrete need yet)
- Elfeed dashboard redesign (unclear if actually used)
- New theme experiments (side project competing with maintenance)

*** Question 3: Which V2MOM method does this relate to?

*If YES (related to V2MOM):*

Claude suggests which method(s) this might relate to:
- Method 1: Make Using Emacs Frictionless (performance, bug fixes, missing features)
- Method 2: Stop Problems Before They Appear (package upgrades, deprecation removal)
- Method 3: Make Fixing Emacs Frictionless (tooling, testing, profiling)
- Method 4: Contribute to the Emacs Ecosystem (package maintenance)
- Method 5: Be Kind To Your Future Self (new capabilities)
- Method 6: Develop Disciplined Engineering Practices (meta-practices)

*This is a conversation.* If the relationship is only tangential:
- **Claude should push back** - "This seems tangential. Adding it would dilute focus and delay V2MOM completion. Are you sure this serves the vision?"
- Help Craig realize it doesn't fit through questions
- The more we add, the longer V2MOM takes, the harder it is to complete

*If item relates to multiple methods:*
Pick the **highest priority method** (Method 1 > Method 2 > Method 3 > etc.)

*IMPORTANT: Capture useful context!*
During discussion, Craig may provide:
- Impact estimates ("15-20 seconds × 12 times/day")
- Theories about root causes
- Context about why this matters
- Examples of when the problem occurs

**When moving items to methods, add this context to the task description.** This preserves valuable information for later execution and helps prioritize work accurately.

*Then:* Move the item to the appropriate method section in the V2MOM or active todo list with enriched context.

** Phase 4: Verify and Celebrate

Once all items are processed:
1. Verify "Emacs Config Inbox" heading is empty
2. Check that active todo count is < 20 items
3. Note the date of this triage session
4. Acknowledge: You've practiced ruthless prioritization (Method 6 skill development)

** Decision Framework: When Uncertain

If you're uncertain whether an item fits V2MOM:

1. **Ask: Does this directly serve the Vision?** (Work at speed of thought, stable config, comprehensive workflows)
2. **Ask: Does this align with Values?** (Intuitive, Fast, Simple)
3. **Ask: Is this in the Methods already?** (If not explicitly listed, probably shouldn't add)
4. **Ask: What's the opportunity cost?** (Every new item delays everything else)

*When in doubt:* Move to someday-maybe. You can always pull it back later if it proves critical. Better to be conservative than to dilute focus.

* Principles to Follow

** Claude's Role: "You're here to help keep me honest"

Craig is developing discipline (Method 6: ruthless prioritization). Not making progress = not getting better.

*Claude's responsibilities:*
- If task clearly fits V2MOM → Confirm and move forward quickly
- If task is unclear/tangential → **Ask questions** to help Craig realize it doesn't fit or won't lead to V2MOM success
- Enable ruthless prioritization by helping Craig say "no"
- Don't let good ideas distract from great goals

*Example questions Claude might ask:*
- "This is interesting, but which specific metric does it improve?"
- "We already have 3 items in Method 1 addressing performance. Does this add something different?"
- "This would be fun to build, but does it make using Emacs more frictionless?"
- "If you had to choose between this and fixing org-agenda (30s → 5s), which serves the vision better?"

** Time Efficiency: 10 Minutes Active Work

Don't take too long on any single item. Splitting philosophical hairs = procrastination.

*Target:* **10 minutes active work time** (not clock time - interruptions expected)

*If spending > 1 minute on a single item:*
- Decision is unclear → Move to someday-maybe (safe default)
- Come back to it later if it proves critical
- Keep moving

*Why this matters:*
- Weekly consistency requires low friction
- Perfect categorization doesn't matter as much as consistent practice
- Getting through all items > perfectly routing each item

** Ruthless Prioritization Over Completeness

The goal is not to do everything in the inbox. The goal is to identify and focus on what matters most.

*Better to:*
- Delete 50% of items and ship the other 50%
- Than keep 100% and ship 0%

*Remember:*
- Every item kept is opportunity cost
- V2MOM already has plenty of work
- "There will always be cool ideas out there to implement and they will always be a web search away" (Craig's words)

** Bias Toward Action

When processing items that ARE aligned with V2MOM:
- Move them to the appropriate method quickly
- Don't overthink the categorization
- Getting it 80% right is better than spending 5 minutes getting it 100% right
- You can always recategorize later during regular triage

* Living Document

This is a living document. After each emacs-inbox-zero workflow, consider:
- Did the workflow make sense?
- Were any steps unclear or unnecessary?
- Did any new situations arise that need decision frameworks?
- Did the 10-minute target work, or should it adjust?

Update this document with learnings to make future workflows smoother.

* Example Session Walkthrough

** Setup
- Open =~/.emacs.d/todo.org=
- Navigate to "Emacs Config Inbox" heading
- Verify items are sorted by priority (A → B → C → none → D)
- Claude rereads =EMACS-CONFIG-V2MOM.org=

** Processing Example Items

*** Example 1: [#A] Fix org-agenda slowness (30+ seconds)

*Q1: Does this need to be done?* YES - Daily pain point blocking productivity

*Q2: Related to V2MOM?* YES - Method 1 explicitly lists this

*Q3: Which method?* Method 1: Make Using Emacs Frictionless

*Action:* Move to Method 1 active tasks (or confirm already there)

*Time:* 15 seconds

*** Example 2: [#B] Add Signal client to Emacs

*Q1: Does this need to be done?* Let's think...

Claude: "What problem does this solve? Is messaging in Emacs part of the Vision?"

Craig: "Not really, I already use Signal on my phone fine."

*Action:* **DELETE** - Doesn't serve vision, already have working solution

*Time:* 30 seconds

*** Example 3: [#C] Try out minimap mode for code navigation

*Q1: Does this need to be done?* Interesting idea, but not important

*Action:* **DELETE** or move to someday-maybe - Interesting, not important

*Time:* 10 seconds

*** Example 4: [#B] Implement transcription workflow

*Q1: Does this need to be done?* YES - Want to transcribe recordings for notes

*Q2: Related to V2MOM?* Maybe... seems like new feature?

Claude: "This seems like Method 5: Be Kind To Your Future Self - new capability you'll use repeatedly. Complete code already exists in old todo.org. But we're still working through Method 1 (frictionless) and Method 2 (stability). Should this wait, or is transcription critical?"

Craig: "Actually yes, I record meetings and need transcripts. This is important."

*Q3: Which method?* Method 5: Be Kind To Your Future Self

*Action:* Move to Method 5 (but note: prioritize after Methods 1-3)

*Time:* 45 seconds (good conversation, worth the time)

** Result
- 4 items processed in ~2 minutes
- 1 moved to Method 1 (already there)
- 1 deleted
- 1 deleted or moved to someday-maybe
- 1 moved to Method 5
- Inbox is clearer, focus is sharper

* Conclusion

Emacs inbox zero is not about getting through email or org-capture. It's about **strategic filtering of config maintenance work**. By processing the inbox weekly, you:

- Keep maintenance load manageable (< 20 active items)
- Ensure only V2MOM-aligned work happens
- Practice ruthless prioritization (Method 6 skill)
- Prevent backlog from crushing future productivity
- Build the discipline that makes all other methods sustainable

**The session takes 10 minutes. Not doing it costs days of distracted, unfocused work on things that don't matter.**

*Remember:* Inbox zero is not about having zero things to do. It's about knowing exactly what you're NOT doing, so you can focus completely on what matters most.

* Living Document

This is a living document. After each emacs-inbox-zero workflow, consider:
- Did the workflow make sense?
- Were any steps unclear or unnecessary?
- Did any new situations arise that need decision frameworks?
- Did the 10-minute target work, or should it adjust?

Update this document with learnings to make future workflows smoother.

** Updates and Learnings

*** 2025-11-01: First validation session - Process works!

*Session results:*
- 5 items processed in ~10 minutes (target met)
- 1 deleted (duplicate), 2 moved to Method 1, 2 moved to someday-maybe
- Inbox cleared to zero
- Priority sorting worked well
- Three-question filter was effective
- Caught duplicate task and perfectionism pattern in real-time

*Key learning: Capture useful context during triage*
When Craig provides impact estimates ("15-20 seconds × 12 times/day"), theories, or context during discussion, **Claude should add this information to the task description** when moving items to methods. This preserves valuable context for execution and helps with accurate prioritization.

Example: "Optimize org-capture target building" was enriched with "15-20 seconds every time capturing a task (12+ times/day). Major daily bottleneck - minutes lost waiting, plus context switching cost."

*Impact:* Better task descriptions → better prioritization → better execution.