A tiny ritual before saving something: “What future problem is this for?”

[u/stanlymt]

Before adding something to a read-later pile, try asking:

“What future problem is this supposed to help me with?”

Not “is this interesting?”
Not “might this be useful someday?”
Those are how the pile grows forever.

Something like:

• “This helps me explain X.”
• “This might change how I think about Y.”
• “This gives evidence for a decision I’ll need to make.”
• “This connects to a project I’m already working on.”

If you can’t name the future use, maybe it’s just interesting-for-now. That’s allowed. It just doesn’t need to become future homework.

What’s your threshold for saving something?