Filter messages by 'does this serve my goal?' — skip…
When scanning incoming messages with a defined goal, ask whether each item directly serves that goal—if yes process it, if no skip/archive/batch it—and do not evaluate whether it's 'interesting' or 'might be useful someday.'
When This Fires
- Processing email, Slack, or any message queue with a specific goal in mind
- Scanning news feeds, research results, or aggregated content for a specific project
- Any information-processing session where browsing tendency competes with focused filtering
- When you notice yourself saving items "in case they're useful later"
Common Failure Mode
Evaluating interestingness as a secondary filter: "It doesn't serve my goal, but it IS really interesting, so I'll just read this one..." Each exception weakens the filter until goal-based scanning degrades into interest-based browsing. The rule must be binary with zero exceptions during the scan. Interesting non-goal items can go in a "read later" batch — reviewed during dedicated browsing time, not during goal-filtered processing.
The Protocol
Before scanning any message queue: (1) Write your current goal in one sentence. Place it where you can see it. (2) For each item: "Does this directly serve [goal]?" Yes → process. No → skip/archive/batch. (3) Do NOT evaluate: "Is this interesting?" "Might this be useful?" "Should I save this?" Those questions are banned during goal-filtered scanning. (4) Non-goal items go to batch/archive — not trash, just deferred. Review the batch during a separate browsing session if desired.