Start your plan and check things off

A plan does not ask anything of you until you start a goal in it. Starting is one tap. From then on, Specthrive shows you one next step at a time, and each tick counts.

This guide continues from Find a guide and make it yours, using the plan from that guide as the example. It works the same way for a plan you build yourself.

How plans and goals are organized

A plan holds a few goals. A goal holds milestones, and each milestone holds a short checklist of tasks. Progress moves up on its own: tick a task and its milestone, goal and plan all move forward.

A goal is either In focus or Up next. In focus means you are working on it and can tick its tasks. Up next means it is saved, keeps its progress, and nothing in it is due. A plan is in focus while one of its goals is.

You have three focus spots. Up to three goals can be in focus at once, across all your plans. That limit is deliberate: a full plate is the thing Specthrive is trying to protect you from.

1. Start one goal

If you added a guide and chose Start, your first goal is already in focus. Skip to step 2.

Otherwise, open Plans and choose the plan. A plan with nothing started asks Which goal do you want to start with?, with the first goal marked Suggested first. Choose Start beside any goal. There is no wrong order.

A plan saved for later, asking which goal to start with, with Understanding Your ADHD suggested first, a Start button beside every goal, and 1 of 3 focus spots in use — One tap starts a goal. Nothing here is due until you do.

The same question on a phone — One tap starts a goal. Nothing here is due until you do.

All three focus spots in use? Starting a goal asks which one to set aside. Pick one, then choose Swap it for the goal you are starting. The goal you set aside keeps every tick and waits in Up next. Changed your mind? Keep and the goal's name for later, like Keep Understanding Your ADHD for later, closes the window and changes nothing.

A window headed Make room for Understanding Your ADHD, then Your 3 focus spots are in use, listing three goals with how far along each is, one of them selected, and a Swap it for Understanding Your ADHD button — Pick one to set aside. It keeps its progress.

The same window on a phone — Pick one to set aside. It keeps its progress.

2. Add a finish date, or don't

Once a goal starts, a card asks Want a finish date? Optional. Choose 2 weeks, 1 month or 3 months, or Pick a date for your own. Specthrive spreads the goal's tasks evenly up to that date. Choose See the dates to check them, and tap any date to move it.

Then choose one:

Add to calendar saves the dates and puts the tasks on your Specthrive calendar.
Save dates only keeps the dates on the tasks without adding calendar events.
No dates leaves the tasks undated. They sit under Anytime, which is a perfectly good way to work too.

The Want a finish date card with 1 month selected, a finish date of Tuesday, Oct 27, and the goal's tasks each given a date — Pick a length and Specthrive spaces the tasks out for you. Every date can be changed.

The same card on a phone — Pick a length and Specthrive spaces the tasks out for you. Every date can be changed.

You can check tasks off while the card is still open. It does not block anything.

On your calendar, tap a task to open it. It opens in the same task panel, where you can tick it off, add a note or change its date. Open in plan takes you to the plan. Other things on your calendar open in their own panel; see Use the family calendar. For a nudge before an event or a goal's deadline, see Get reminders for things on your calendar.

3. See what is up next

Under the plan's checklist, Up next lists the plan's other goals, each with its own Start, and how many of your focus spots are in use.

The Up next list under a plan's checklist, with Financial Independence, Healthcare Coordination and Community Integration each beside a Start button, and 1 of 3 focus spots in use — The rest of the plan, one tap away when you want it.

The same list on a phone — The rest of the plan, one tap away when you want it.

The Plans page uses the same words. Plans you are working on sit under In focus, with your focus spots beside the heading. Plans with nothing started sit under Up next: "Saved goals and guides. Nothing here is due."

The Plans page with one plan under In focus, 1 of 3 focus spots in use, and a saved guide under Up next — In focus is what you are working on. Up next is saved, with nothing due.

The same page on a phone — In focus is what you are working on. Up next is saved, with nothing due.

4. Work from your next step

Back on the plan, one task is highlighted as your Next Step. Below it, tasks sit in Today, This week, Upcoming and Anytime, so you can see what is coming without it all landing at once.

Done it? Choose I did this. That is all it takes. Open goal shows the rest of that goal's checklist.

The same next step also appears at the top of the Plans page, with your Quiet wins beside it: your day streak, tasks done, and plans in focus. They count what you have done, never what you missed. A slow week still counts.

The Plans page with a Next Step card for Set up systems to prevent clutter accumulation, an I did this button, and Quiet wins beside it — Your next step, front and center. Quiet wins count what you did, never what you missed.

Your dashboard has your next step too. Today shows one task with I did this, so you can tick it off without opening the plan. Details opens it right there: the milestone it is part of, what the step involves, and Add a note (optional) for anything worth remembering, then I did this.

The dashboard's Today card with Details open under Set up systems to prevent clutter accumulation: Part of Cleaning & Maintenance, the step's description, an Add a note (optional) box and I did this — Details shows the step and a place for a note, without leaving your dashboard.

Choose Open to see the whole task. It opens in a panel over your dashboard, with its description, documents, a note and Mark done. Open in plan at the bottom takes you to the plan itself.

The task panel open over the dashboard for Identify optimal location with your child, with its description, Documents, Add a note (optional), Mark done and Open in plan — The same task panel the plan page uses, one tap from your dashboard.

The same panel on a phone — The same task panel the plan page uses, one tap from your dashboard.

Changed your mind? Choose Undo. After you finish a task, a short "Nice work" message offers Undo for a moment. When that task finished the goal or the whole plan, the message says so instead, for example "That finished the goal." It has no Undo then.

5. Open a goal and work the checklist

Choose a goal's number under Goals (01, 02 and so on) to open it. The header shows where it stands: In focus, how many tasks are done, how many milestones, roughly how much time is left, the due date, and a progress bar.

Scroll to Milestones. Each milestone opens into its checklist.

A goal page for Household Management, in focus, with 0 of 8 tasks done, two milestones and a progress bar — A goal at a glance: tasks done, milestones, time left and due date.

The same goal on a phone — A goal at a glance: tasks done, milestones, time left and due date.

Tick the box next to a task when it is done. A small burst of confetti marks it (unless your device is set to reduce motion), and the numbers update straight away: the milestone reads 1/4, and the goal and plan move forward.

Ticked one by mistake? Tick it again to undo it.

The Cleaning & Maintenance milestone with its first task ticked and crossed through, the milestone at 1 of 4, and the goal at 13 percent — Tick a task and every level above it moves forward.

The same checklist on a phone — Tick a task and every level above it moves forward.

Make it fit your life. Choose Add a task at the bottom of a goal to add your own steps. Use the … menu on any task to change or remove it.

Can't tick a box? Tasks can only be ticked in a goal that is in focus. A goal in Up next shows "Start this goal to check off its tasks". Choose Start at the top of the goal, or in the Up next list.

When you need a break

Life gets loud sometimes. Set aside at the top of a goal moves it to Up next and frees its focus spot. Set this plan aside in a plan's … menu does the same for every goal in the plan. Everything you have done stays exactly where it is, and Start brings it back whenever you are ready.

Coming back. When every plan is set aside or saved for later, Today on your dashboard reads Saved for later: "Your plans are right where you left them." It lists up to three of them, each with Resume. Choose Resume and the row changes to Pick up where you left off. That opens the plan, which asks which goal to start, as in step 1. Until you start one, your dashboard says "Nothing due today." and keeps the plan there to pick up.

The dashboard's Today card reading Saved for later and Your plans are right where you left them, with Independent Living Skills for ND Adults and ADHD Newly Diagnosed Guide (Adult), each with a Resume button, then See all plans and a Less energy today button — Nothing is lost while you are away. Resume brings a plan back when you are ready.

On a lighter day

Low on energy? Choose Less energy today. It sits under your step in Today on your dashboard, with "Home will show just this step until tomorrow." One tap folds the rest of the page away, and a short message says "A lighter day. The rest is folded away until tomorrow." with Undo for a moment.

The dashboard's Today card for Set up systems to prevent clutter accumulation, with I did this, Open and Details, and below a divider a Less energy today button and the line Home will show just this step until tomorrow — One tap when you need it. Nothing else to decide.

Home keeps just your next step. A banner reads A lighter day. "Home shows just your next step until tomorrow. Nothing moves and nothing is marked missed." Under your step it says "The rest will still be here." If your care team shared something new, one line says so, such as "Your care team shared 2 new things", and opens it. Show everything unfolds the page whenever you want it, and Show less folds it again.

Home on a lighter day: the A lighter day banner with Back to everything, then the Today card with one step and the line The rest will still be here, then Show everything — Just one step on the page. The rest waits for you.

Your streak holds. The day counts as a rest day, so your day streak neither grows nor breaks: "Day 12 of showing up. Today counts as a rest day, so it stays at 12."

The lighter day is yours. It follows you to every profile you open today, and no one else sees it. On someone else's profile, the banner says their plans and dates don't change.

Back to everything in the banner ends it whenever you like. Otherwise it ends on its own tomorrow.