Chapter 5: Inbox Zero (Finally) — Rachel Holt

In this chapter

Why Email Feels Overwhelming (And Why AI Helps)
Triage: Getting to Zero in One Pass
Drafting: From Blank Page to Send-Ready
Building a Template Library That Saves Hours

Tools mentioned in this chapter

Gmail + Gemini

AI-assisted drafting and summarization in Gmail

Outlook + Copilot

AI email drafting and thread summarization in Outlook

Microsoft Copilot

Summarize threads, draft replies, manage follow-ups

Prompts to use

Click any prompt to expand it, then copy and paste directly into your AI tool. Replace the bracketed placeholders with your specifics.

I have [X] unread emails. Here are the subject lines and senders: [paste list]. Group them into: (1) respond today, (2) respond this week, (3) probably don't need a response. Flag anything time-sensitive.

I frequently need to send emails [describing a recurring scenario]. Write me a flexible template I can personalize in under two minutes, in a warm but professional tone.

I need to reply to this email: [paste]. The situation is sensitive because [explain]. Help me write a response that is [firm / warm / clear] without being [aggressive / vague / over-apologetic].

I'll be away from [date] to [date]. Write an out-of-office that's professional, includes who to contact for urgent matters ([name, email]), and doesn't overshare.

I spend about [X hours] on email per day. Walk me through a realistic system to cut that in half using AI assistance, templates, and batching — specific to someone who uses [Gmail/Outlook].

Can't find the right prompt?

Ask your AI tool to write one for you:

"I need to [describe your goal in one sentence]. Write me a clear, specific prompt I can use to get the best possible result from an AI assistant."

View full prompt library →

Video tutorials

Curated videos to go deeper on the topics in this chapter.

Get the book

Productivity for Women

By Rachel Holt — Available in Kindle and paperback

Kindle — $9.99 Paperback — $17.99

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