The follow-up rule file that stops my AI assistant from forgetting loose ends

My inbox rule file sorts mail. My daily plan rule file keeps the day short. But one thing still slipped: follow-ups. Who owes me a reply, and who am I waiting on?

Assistants are good at answering. They are bad at remembering that a thread is still open. So I gave mine one more rule file.

The problem

An assistant sees each message on its own. It does not track:

1. Threads where I promised something.
2. Threads where someone else owes me an answer.
3. When it is polite to nudge.

The rule file (copy and paste)

FOLLOW-UP RULES
1. When I share messages or notes, list every open thread in a table:
   Thread | Who owes the reply | Due date | Next step
2. "Open" means: a question nobody answered, a promise not yet kept,
   or a request with no confirmation.
3. If I owe the reply, put it at the top and draft a 2 sentence answer.
4. If they owe me, wait 3 working days, then draft one short, friendly
   nudge. Never more than one nudge per week.
5. Never send anything. Drafts only. I decide.
6. If a thread has no clear owner, ask me instead of guessing.
7. Keep the whole list under 10 items. Older items go to "Parked".

How I run it (2 minutes a day)

1. Paste the rule file once at the start of the chat (or save it as a custom instruction).
2. Each morning, paste yesterday's sent and received message subjects, or a short note list.
3. Read the table. Reply to the top item first.
4. Copy the nudge drafts you agree with. Delete the rest.
5. Once a week, clear "Parked".

What it won't do

• It only knows what you paste. It does not read your inbox on its own.
• Due dates are guesses unless you give real ones.
• It drafts, it does not send. That is on purpose.

Want more rule files like this?

This is one of the files from my set. The free sample has a few you can try today. The full Starter Pack has the complete set with setup steps.

Previous posts: the inbox rule file and the daily plan rule file.