Getting Started: Essential Settings

Hi there, and welcome!

In this walkthrough series, we're going to show you exactly how to set up and start using the Status Tracker—your new go-to tool for staying on course throughout the day. Whether you're using the web app, desktop, or mobile, we'll guide you through everything from the essential settings to understanding the different tools available. You'll learn how to scope your tracker, set daily goals, configure notifications, and get familiar with the core statuses that help you track your progress and priorities.

I'm Alex, and I'll be your trainer for this series. I'm excited to walk you through how the Status Tracker can become a powerful part of yours.

In this video, we'll start with the basics—how to set up the essential settings—so you can lay a strong foundation before diving into the more advanced tools. Let's get started!

To begin, log in to your SkedPal web app. Then, navigate to the 'Settings' section, select 'Preferences' from the left menu, and click the 'Advanced Options' button to expand and reveal all the necessary settings.

The first and most important part is the 'Instant Daily Schedule Update'. You'll want to tick the first option to enable automatic daily updates in SkedPal.

Once this is on, there's no need to refresh your schedule manually. SkedPal will dynamically refresh your schedule for today whenever there are changes, or as time passes. This ensures your schedule is always up-to-date.

You might wonder why the 'Update Schedule' button is still there. The instant daily update only updates your schedule for 'today'! The 'Update Schedule' button, on the other hand, is used to update your calendar for other days.

The second option under 'Instant Daily Schedule Update' relates to tasks scheduled in the past. If you intend to actively use the tracker, you should tick this option. This will keep your schedule consistently up-to-date, including adjustments based on past activities.

However, if you don't plan to use the tracker actively, but still want the instant update to manage your schedule from now into the future without rescheduling past tasks, leave this option unticked. Choose the option that best reflects your intended use of the Status Tracker.

Now, let's move on to 'Activity History Preferences'. You'll see two choices here.

If you intend to actively use the Status Tracker, select the second option, 'Time Tracking Log Basis'.

Your choice here determines how SkedPal adjusts task durations when you partially complete a task, and how it updates time consumed for tasks with time budgets. Selecting 'Time Tracking Log Basis' ensures accurate time tracking and schedule adjustments based on your logged activities.

There are more settings, especially notification settings, that we'll cover later in this course. For now, these settings are sufficient to get you started.

And that wraps up our look at the essential settings for the SkedPal Status Tracker—great job getting that foundation in place!

Hey, I'm Ryan. Next up, we'll show you how to use the web, desktop, and mobile apps the right way—each designed for a different part of your workflow.

See you in the next video!