When this helps: Opened a long work email and your brain just shut down. You need to know “what do I actually have to do?” without reading 15 paragraphs.
One-Tap Reset (If You’re Foggy)
I'm foggy. Please slow down, 3 bullets, plain words.
Real Example (Before → After)
What you’re trying to read:
Subject: Q4 Wrap-Up + Launch Next Steps
Team,
Great work on Q3. Two items need quick attention. First, launch timeline: We’re still set for Nov 3. Design will hand off assets by Oct 20. Marketing needs final copy locked by Oct 18. If copy isn’t ready, we slip. Second, customer webinar: Our speaker confirmed for Nov 7. We need a dry run Nov 4. Please send your slides by Nov 1.
Ryan — can you: (a) confirm if the landing page copy will be final by Oct 18, and (b) approve the webinar title by tomorrow EOD? Also, FYI, Finance is pushing 1 new vendor form. Link below.
Thanks! Maya
What you get with TL;DR:
Main point: Confirm landing page copy deadline and approve webinar title by tomorrow.
My actions:
- Confirm landing page copy final by Oct 18
- Approve webinar title by tomorrow EOD
Key dates:
- Oct 18: Final marketing copy due
- Oct 20: Design asset handoff
- Nov 1: Slides due (team)
- Nov 3: Launch date
- Nov 4: Webinar dry run
- Nov 7: Customer webinar
Others doing:
- Design: Assets by Oct 20
- Team: Slides by Nov 1
Reply draft (if needed): “Copy will be final by Oct 18, and I’ll approve the webinar title by tomorrow EOD. Please resend the vendor form link.”
The Prompt (Copy This)
Create a TL;DR summary of this email. Include:
- Main point (one sentence: what does this email need from me?)
- My actions (bullet list with deadlines if mentioned)
- Key dates (chronological list)
- Others' actions (who is doing what and when)
- Reply draft (2-3 sentences, only if email asks for response)
Keep total summary under 100 words. Use bullets. Bold any dates.
Email:
[PASTE YOUR EMAIL HERE]
Voice-First Cue (For Dictation)
Say this into your phone or computer:
“TL;DR this email my actions first” (then paste the email)
What AI Will Give You
After you paste your email, the AI will:
- Extract the core request in one clear sentence
- List what you need to do with deadlines (if mentioned)
- Show key dates in order so you can add them to your calendar
- Draft a quick reply if the email needs a response
Typical response time: 10-20 seconds
Variations for Different Situations
For Thread with 10+ Messages
TL;DR only the LATEST message in this thread. Ignore quoted replies.
Include:
- Main point
- My actions with deadlines
- Key dates
- Others' actions
[PASTE THREAD]
For Meeting Notes Email
TL;DR these meeting notes. Focus on:
- Decisions made
- Action items assigned to me
- Follow-up dates
[PASTE MEETING NOTES]
For Email with Multiple Requests
TL;DR this email. Number each separate request and show:
- Request #1: [summary] → My action: [what to do]
- Request #2: [summary] → My action: [what to do]
[PASTE EMAIL]
For Newsletter/Update Email
TL;DR this update. Show only:
- What changed
- Does this affect me? (yes/no + why)
- Any action needed
[PASTE UPDATE]
Pro Tips
For urgent items: Add: “Mark anything due in next 48 hours with 🔴”
For complex requests: Add: “If any request is unclear, list it under ‘Need clarification’”
For decision emails: Add: “If email asks me to decide something, state the decision clearly and list pros/cons in 2 bullets each”
To skip reply drafts: Add: “No reply draft needed” at the end of the prompt
Quick Reference
| If you’re reading… | Use this variation |
|---|---|
| Long thread | “TL;DR only the LATEST message” |
| Meeting notes | “TL;DR these meeting notes. Focus on decisions and my actions” |
| Multiple requests | “Number each request and show my action for each” |
| Update/newsletter | “Show only: what changed, does it affect me, action needed” |
| Decision needed | “State the decision clearly and list 2 pros, 2 cons” |
Why This Works
The “TL;DR” trigger:
- Comes from Reddit/internet culture meaning “Too Long; Didn’t Read”
- AI recognizes it as instruction to create executive summary
- Forces brevity and action-focus (not explanation)
- Skips background and context, jumps to “what matters”
The psychology:
- Reading 5 bullets is easier than parsing 15 paragraphs
- Action items separated from context reduces cognitive load
- Pre-drafted reply removes “what do I say back?” anxiety
Works across all AI platforms:
- ChatGPT (free or paid)
- Claude (free or paid)
- Microsoft Copilot
- Google Gemini
5 Essential Email Prompts
Stop re-reading emails when you’re foggy. Get 5 Essential Prompts for MS Brain Fog - includes TL;DR, plus ELI5 for complex text, BLUF for decisions, and prompts for breaking down tasks.Troubleshooting
“The summary is still too long”
- Add: “Maximum 75 words total”
- Or: “Use only bullet points, no sentences”
“It’s missing key details”
- Add: “Include all dates, names, and dollar amounts mentioned”
- Or: Run the prompt again with: “What did you miss from this email? [paste email again]”
“Reply draft doesn’t match my tone”
- Add: “Reply tone: [friendly/formal/direct]”
- Or: “Reply draft should sound casual like texting a coworker”
“AI included too much background”
- Add: “Skip all context and history. Only new information and requests.”
- Or: Use the thread variation (“TL;DR only the LATEST message”)
Next Steps
Just learned TL;DR? Try these next:
- The
ELI5Prompt for Medical Documents - Simplify complex language - The
BLUFPrompt for Quick Decisions - Get clear recommendations - The
stepsPrompt for Overwhelming Tasks - Break down vague requests
Want more email prompts?
- “Rewrite this email to be shorter”
- “Find the ask buried in this email”
- “What’s the subtext of this message?”
See the full library at /prompts/
Note: This is a tool for managing email overload, not a replacement for careful reading when stakes are high. For legal, medical, or sensitive decisions, read the full email.
Part of the MS & AI resource library. Built by someone who gets it, for people who need systems that work on hard days.