As the founder of Self-Manager, I don't just build the app — I live in it every day. Over the years, I've refined a system that helps me stay focused, manage long-term projects, and continuously improve through reviews and optimizations.

In this article, I'll show you exactly how I use Self-Manager for:

1. Planning weekly and monthly projects

2. Breaking those plans into daily action

3. Tracking my time to see where it really goes

4. Reviewing my progress using AI summaries and the new Overview feature

If you've ever struggled to balance planning with execution — or to make sense of how your time is spent — this workflow might give you ideas for your own productivity system.

1. Starting with Weekly & Monthly Projects

I always begin with the big picture. Each month, I set 3–5 key projects that I want to move forward. These are usually a mix of business goals (like releasing a feature), operational needs (like handling user feedback), and sometimes personal growth.

From there, I break each project into tasks and milestones inside Self-Manager. At the start of every week, I decide which of those projects get priority. That way, I'm not juggling everything at once — I'm focusing on 2–3 initiatives that really matter.

2. Daily Planning from the Big Picture

Once the week is set, daily planning becomes straightforward. Every morning, I open Self-Manager and look at my weekly plan. Then I choose the three most important tasks to focus on that day.

I also leave space for meetings, communication, and unexpected interruptions. The important thing is that daily planning flows naturally from the bigger plan — I'm not just reacting to what feels urgent, I'm aligning with my weekly and monthly priorities.

3. Tracking My Time

One of the most powerful habits I've built is time tracking. I don't track time to micromanage myself — I track it to understand where my energy is really going.

Throughout the day, I log the hours I spend on project work, meetings, admin tasks, and learning. This helps me see patterns over time. For example, I realized that when meetings take more than 25% of my week, my core work slows down. That insight led me to set stricter boundaries on calls and create bigger focus blocks.

4. Reviewing My Week & Month

Planning and tracking only matter if you review and optimize. That's where Self-Manager's built-in review tools come in.

AI Period Summary

At the end of each week or month, I generate an AI summary. In just a few minutes, I get a written reflection of what happened — key tasks, patterns, and insights. What used to take me an hour of manual journaling is now done in 5–10 minutes.

Overview Feature

We also recently added the Overview option inside the daily view. You can pick any week or month and instantly see:

• Total time spent

• How many tasks you had

• How many were completed

• How many comments were made across projects

• A timeline of daily tracked time (one week for weekly view, four weeks for monthly view)

This data helps me spot trends: are tasks rolling over too often? Did I spend too much time in one area? Am I balancing deep work with communication?

5. Why Reviews Matter

I believe productivity isn't about doing more, but about doing better. That means reflecting, learning, and optimizing.

Every review leads to small adjustments — maybe cutting scope, changing priorities, or experimenting with a new work habit. Over time, those optimizations compound into better outcomes and less wasted effort.

That's why Self-Manager is built not just for planning and tracking, but also for reviewing and improving.

Closing Thoughts

This is how I personally use Self-Manager to run my weeks and months as both a founder and a maker. It's not about being perfect — some weeks go off track, and that's okay. What matters is having a clear process that helps you realign, learn, and move forward.

If you haven't tried building a weekly review habit yet, I highly recommend it. Start small, use the Overview or AI Period Summary, and see what insights you uncover about your own work.

Because in the end, productivity isn't about working harder. It's about working smarter, reviewing consistently, and always improving.