gtd-inbox

name	gtd-inbox
description	Use when capturing thoughts or tasks into the GTD inbox, or when listing, counting, removing, or clearing inbox items.

Manage the user's GTD inbox based on their request.

Step 1: Read Inbox File

1. Read ~/.claude/productivity-skills/inbox.md (shared with the Claude Code version of this skill — keep this exact path)
2. If file or directory does not exist:
   • Create directory: mkdir -p ~/.claude/productivity-skills
   • Create file with format:

     # Inbox
     
     

Step 2: Interpret Instructions

Determine the user's intent from their message:

Intent	Example phrases
Add item	"add buy milk", "remember to call John", "capture: review docs"
List items	"list", "show", "what's in my inbox", "" (empty = list)
Remove item	"remove buy milk", "delete the call item", "done with groceries"
Count	"count", "how many items"
Clear all	"clear", "empty inbox"

If unclear, ask the user to clarify.

Step 3: Execute Action

Adding Items:

1. Check if a semantically similar item already exists

2. If similar found, ask the user: "Similar item exists: '[item]'. Add anyway?" with options "Yes, add it" / "No, skip"

3. Get current date if item contains time references:

   date "+%Y-%m-%d %A"
   

   This returns the date and day of week (e.g., "2026-01-13 Monday") for accurate time calculation.

4. Convert relative time references to explicit dates before adding:

   • "today" → "(YYYY-MM-DD)"
   • "tomorrow" → "(YYYY-MM-DD)"
   • "this Monday" → "(Mon YYYY-MM-DD)"
   • "next week" → "(week of YYYY-MM-DD)"
   • "end of week" → "(by Fri YYYY-MM-DD)"
   • "end of month" → "(by YYYY-MM-DD)"
   • If no time reference, store item as-is

   Examples:

   • "call John this Monday" → "call John (Mon 2026-01-20)"
   • "finish report by end of week" → "finish report (by Fri 2026-01-17)"
   • "buy groceries tomorrow" → "buy groceries (2026-01-14)"
   • "review docs" → "review docs" (no change)

5. If confirmed or no duplicate, append the converted item to list

6. Report: "Added '[converted item]' to inbox (N items pending)"

Listing Items:

1. Display numbered list
2. If empty: "Inbox is empty"
3. Format: "# Inbox (N items)" followed by numbered items

Removing Items:

1. Find item matching description semantically
2. If multiple matches or unclear, ask the user to confirm which
3. Edit the file to remove the line
4. Report: "Removed '[item]'. (N items remaining)"

Counting: Report: "N items pending"

Clearing:

1. Ask the user to confirm: "Clear all N items from inbox?"
2. If confirmed, write empty inbox format
3. Report: "Inbox cleared"

Step 4: Save Changes

• Rewrite the whole file when creating it or clearing all items
• Edit only the affected lines when adding or removing items

Guidelines

Follow GTD inbox principles:

• Capture everything without judgment
• Keep items atomic (single thought/task each)
• The inbox is for capture, not organization

Handle errors gracefully:

• If file malformed, parse what's readable and warn user
• If item not found, ask the user to clarify
• Always confirm destructive actions (clear all)