The real enemy isn’t overflowing inboxes or endless meetings. It’s the quiet leak of attention, those tiny pauses, re-checks, and hesitations that swallow whole hours before you notice. AI won’t give you back an empty calendar, but it can plug the leaks. Fewer do-overs. Fewer rewinds. More movement.
Keep reading for 2 quick news hits, 3 tools worth your time, a Q&A, and a prompt designed to save you hours.
AI Intel: Gmail Gets AI Summaries
What happened:
Google is adding AI-powered email summaries for business accounts. Instead of scrolling through long back-and-forth threads, Gmail will give you a short digest with the key points, decisions, and action items.
Why it matters to work:
Inbox overload is one of the biggest hidden drains on your time. This update means less wading through noise and more clarity in seconds. For anyone juggling client messages, team updates, or endless CCs, it’s like having an assistant that reads the email for you and hands you the bullet points.
What to do by Friday:
If it’s already live in your inbox: Pick one messy thread (client updates, team emails, or supplier chains) and test the summaries. See how close they come to what you’d normally write down yourself. If it’s good, make it a habit: start checking the summary first, not the full email.
If it hasn’t appeared yet: Don’t worry, it’s rolling out gradually. In the meantime, think about the areas where this will save you most time (client updates, weekly reports, or project back-and-forths). That way, you can put it to work the moment it shows up.
AI Intel: PowerPoint Drafts Your SlidesAI Intel
What happened:
Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint now lets you generate a full slide deck from a simple outline or document. You type in your notes, meeting agenda, or key bullet points, and it will automatically create a draft presentation with titles, layouts, and images ready to tweak.
Why it matters to work:
Building slides is one of those silent time-wasters. It is important, but it eats hours you don’t really have. This update means the blank slide problem disappears. Instead of designing from scratch, you start 70% done. For client pitches, internal updates, or training decks, it means faster turnaround and more time to polish the message rather than formatting boxes.
What to do by Friday:
If you see the Copilot button in PowerPoint, paste in notes from your next meeting or a short outline for a project update. Let Copilot draft the slides, then spend 10 minutes cleaning them up instead of hours building from zero.
If it hasn’t appeared yet: Update to the latest Microsoft 365 and check your account permissions (Copilot is rolling out in stages). In the meantime, try the same trick with ChatGPT or Canva: paste your outline and ask for slide drafts to see how much time you can save.
1. Tango — Step-by-step guides without writing
What it does (in simple terms):
Tango watches your screen while you do a task and turns it into a neat guide with screenshots and simple instructions. Great for training, handovers, and delegating without long emails.
10-minute setup:
Go to tango.ai and create a free account.
Install the Tango Chrome extension.
Click “Capture”.
Do the task once at your normal pace (for example: create an invoice, upload a post, or export a report).
Click “Finish”.
Tango builds your guide automatically.
Give the guide a clear title, check the steps, and tidy any wording.
Click “Share” to copy a link or export as a PDF.
Use it this week:
Record your invoice process and share the guide with your bookkeeper.
Capture your client onboarding steps once and reuse the guide for every new client.
Show a virtual assistant how to upload content without a call or screen share.
Time saved:
1–2 hours every time you would otherwise explain, screenshot, or rewrite instructions.
2. AudioPen — Turn messy voice notes into polished text
What it does (in simple terms):
AudioPen lets you talk out loud and turns your voice note into clean, structured writing you can paste straight into an email, report, or post. It removes filler, tightens wording, and can match different styles.
10-minute setup:
Go to audiopen.ai and create a free account (email, Google, or Apple).
When your browser asks for microphone access, click Allow so you can record.
Click the microphone button to start a New recording. Speak for 1–2 minutes about one topic (e.g., client update, meeting notes, post idea).
Click Stop. AudioPen will transcribe and clean up your words automatically.
Choose an output style such as Email update, Meeting notes, or Outline. If you’re on Prime, set a preferred tone so results match your voice.
Click Copy to clipboard or Export and paste the polished text where you need it.
Use it this week:
After a client call, record a quick summary and send the cleaned version as a follow-up.
Dictate ideas for a LinkedIn post or newsletter while walking, then paste the text when you’re back at your desk.
Capture meeting notes verbally and turn them into a clear action list in seconds.
Time saved:
20–30 minutes every time you’d otherwise stare at a blank page or rewrite messy notes.
3. Bardeen — Automate browser chores in one click
What it does (in simple terms):
Bardeen is a browser extension that takes repetitive tasks off your plate. It can move data from a webpage into Google Sheets, turn emails into tasks, or copy LinkedIn results into a lead list, all without manual copy-paste.
10-minute setup:
Go to bardeen.ai and create a free account.
Install the Bardeen extension in Chrome (or Edge).
Open the extension and sign in.
Connect the apps you already use (e.g., Gmail, Google Sheets, Notion, Asana).
Browse the “Playbooks” gallery and pick one that matches your workflow (like “Save emails to Google Sheets”).
Run the Playbook once to see it in action, then pin it for reuse.
Use it this week:
Save all starred emails to a Google Sheet automatically instead of copy-pasting.
Capture LinkedIn search results into a spreadsheet with one click.
Turn client emails into Asana tasks instantly.
Time saved:
30–60 minutes per day wasted on switching tabs and repetitive copy-paste.
Prompt of the Week (with context)
Use case: Quickly draft a professional LinkedIn post from a rough idea.
Copy/paste:
"You are my LinkedIn content writer. Take this rough idea and turn it into a short LinkedIn post that is clear, engaging, and written in plain English.
Start with a one-line hook that sparks curiosity.
Keep the body 3–4 short paragraphs.
End with a simple call-to-action (e.g., ‘What do you think?’).
Here’s my rough idea: [paste your notes]"*
Why it works: Many professionals want to share ideas online but don’t have time to polish posts. This prompt takes scraps of notes and transforms them into something that looks ready for your network, without hours of editing.
Q&A of the Week
Q: “I’ve tried using ChatGPT, but the replies feel stiff and generic. How do I make it sound more like me, so I don’t waste time rewriting everything?”
A: You don’t need fancy tricks; just a few prompt tweaks make a huge difference.
Give it your role and audience first. Example: “You are a marketing consultant writing to small business owners.” Add a tone instruction. Use simple words like friendly, professional, direct, or empathetic. Feed it a sample. Paste a paragraph you’ve written and say, “Match this style.” Use “short sentences, plain English.” That’s a golden phrase to remove jargon. Always ask for two versions. One polished, one more casual, then pick.
Try this once on an email you’ve been avoiding. You’ll see how quickly the voice feels closer to yours, and how little editing you’ll need.
Got an AI question on your mind? Hit reply and send it over; your question could be the one I dive into in the very next issue. The more specific, the better.
Thanks for reading,
See you next Wednesday with more ways to cut the busywork and get your time back.
Orgesa Meli
P.S. It would mean a lot if you forward this to someone who’d benefit. I’m building a community of people who want to work smarter with AI, not just a list of names. Subscribe to my community here.
