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Start with a task. A task is something you can finish within a day. It can be one-time ("Buy running shoes", "Call the dentist") or repeating ("Exercise every Mon, Wed and Fri", "Take vitamins daily"). Most of what you want to do belongs here.

Use a goal when it's a longer-term result you can measure: "Run 300 miles this year", "Read 24 books", "Save $5,000 by December", "Lose 15 lbs by June". A goal has a target and a deadline, and can have milestones, supporting goals and many tasks.

A quick test: if you'll be done by tonight, or it simply repeats, it's a task. If you'll be working toward it for weeks or months, make it a goal, then add tasks for the steps and link them to it.

Go to Tasks and tap Add task. Give it a name, and choose whether it happens once or repeats (every day, every few days, weekly, or on chosen days like Mon, Wed and Fri). Give it a time to see it on the Calendar.

Go to Goals and tap New Goal. Give it a name and category, then choose how you'll log progress. Set your target and pick a deadline (a date, or a period like "6 months from now").

Once it's saved, FirstGoal shows how much you need to do per day or week to reach it on time.

When you create the goal, choose "It's done or not done". There's no number to log or pace to keep.

Add the steps as tasks on the goal's page whenever you figure them out ("Buy running shoes", "Sign up for a race"). Progress shows how many steps are done and what's next. When it's finished, tap Mark as done.

Yes — use the "Replay the welcome tour" button at the top of this page (while you're logged in).

• Current value — you enter where you are now, and it replaces the last reading. Good for weight, a savings balance, or the page you're on.
• Amount that adds up — each entry is added to a running total. Good for miles run, money raised, books finished or minutes practiced.

Open the goal and use Log, or open Edit Log to add an entry for any date. If you have a logging task for the goal, you can also log right from the Tasks page. Type a number in its Log box, or just check it off to log the suggested amount.

It's the pace you need from now on to hit your target by the deadline, based on everything you've logged so far. Log more than needed and it goes down; fall behind and it goes up.

Choose how it's shown under "Show my required pace" when you create or edit a goal. It can be per day, week or month, every few days, weeks or months, or on certain days of the week (like Mon, Wed, Fri). It follows your minimum logging frequency until you change it.

An optional promise to log at least every so often — every few days, weekly, or on certain days of the week. FirstGoal then adds a logging task on that schedule, showing exactly how much to log to stay on pace.

• Milestones are checkpoints between your starting point and your target, each with its own date — handy for long goals.
• Supporting goals are the repeated work that drives a bigger goal — for example "Run 4 times a week" supporting "Run a half marathon". Add them from the goal's page.

Your First Goal is the one goal that matters most to you right now. Tap the flag on a goal, on the Goals page or on the goal's own page, to make it your First Goal. You can have one at a time; picking another moves the flag.

Your First Goal shows a gold First Goal label and is always listed first. All of its tasks are labeled First and come first on your task lists, above High priority, sorted by due date.

Stats shows whether your First Goal is on pace, and how often First Goals are finished by their deadline compared with your other goals.

They show whether each goal with a deadline is on pace. Green means on track: you're where a steady pace from the start date would put you, or ahead. Amber means behind that pace. Red means the deadline has passed and the goal isn't finished.

Goals without a deadline have no pace to keep, so they stay plain. In List view, a colored dot shows the same thing.

Open the goal, choose Edit Log, then tap Edit next to the entry to change its value, date or note — or delete it.

Once the target is met, a Complete Goal button appears on the goal's page. Completed (and deleted) goals move to the Archive page, where you can still see them.

Choose "Every…" (every so many days, weeks, months or years) or "Certain days of the week". When you check one off, the next one is created automatically and appears on its date.

An unfinished task stays on your list — you can still check it off late — until its next occurrence arrives. A task only counts as missed if it isn't done by midnight on its due date; running past its scheduled time doesn't count.

• A number logging task logs a value to its goal — straight from the task list.
• A note logging task is completed by writing a short note, which is saved with the task (you can see it later on the Archive page).

Sort by due date or priority, filter by goal or category, or search by name. Tap a task's priority to change it, and in Priority sort, drag the dotted handle to reorder. You can also add subtasks (a checklist under the task) and your own task categories.

You choose in Settings → Task archiving: when you tap Remove, the moment you check them off, or at the end of the day. Archived tasks stay visible on the Archive page.

Give a task a start and end time when you add or edit it — or tap a time on the Calendar to add a task right there. Day and week views block off the time; month, quarter and year views shade the days that have something scheduled.

For tasks on certain days of the week you can use the same time every day, or a different time for each day.

In Settings → Time zone, or right on the Calendar page. Task times and when "today" starts and ends follow it.

Add one or more reminders to a task. Then turn on notifications in Settings → Reminder notifications on each device where you want them, and send yourself a test.

On iPhone and iPad, notifications only work after you've added FirstGoal to your Home Screen (iOS 16.4 or later) and opened it from there. Also check that notifications are allowed for it in your phone's settings.

No app store needed — FirstGoal runs in your browser and can be added to your home screen, where it opens full-screen like any other app.

• iPhone / iPad (Safari): tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen.
• Android (Chrome): tap the ⋮ menu, then Install app (or Add to Home screen).
• Computer (Chrome or Edge): click the install icon at the right end of the address bar.

Yes. Log in with the same account anywhere and your goals and tasks stay in sync.

Yes, on a device where you've opened it online before. With no connection, you'll see your goals and tasks as they were last loaded. You can check off tasks and shopping items, add or edit tasks, and log progress.

A banner shows how many changes are waiting. They sync on their own once you're back online. Other changes, like editing a goal, need a connection.

If you changed the same task on another device in the meantime, the change made offline wins.

On the login screen, tap "Forgot password?" and enter your email. We'll send a link to choose a new one (it works for 1 hour).

Check your spam or promotions folder for mail from noreply@startfirstgoal.com. You can resend the confirmation from the banner at the top of the app. Still nothing? Email us.

In Settings, set up 2-step verification with an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator or 1Password). After that, logging in also asks for a 6-digit code.

Settings → Your data. "Download my data" saves everything as a JSON file; "Delete my account" permanently deletes your account and everything in it. See our Privacy Policy for details.

No. It's a goal and to-do app, not a medical service. Talk to a professional before making health decisions, and please don't store other people's health information in it.