Getting Started

Your journey with Self-Engine begins here

Welcome to Self-Engine

Self-Engine is your all-in-one productivity platform: projects and time tracking (including Pomodoro), tasks, finances, calendar, and habits — offline-capable and synced across your devices.

1. Create Your Account

Self-Engine uses offline-first technology with PowerSync, so you can work even without an internet connection. Changes sync automatically when you're back online.

2. Explore the Dashboard

After signing in you land on the dashboard: today's agenda, your stats — and a getting-started checklist that walks you through the first steps. The five modules live in the main navigation:

Projects - Organize projects in folders and track working hours
Tasks - Capture to-dos in the inbox and plan your day
Finance - Manage income, expenses, and bank accounts
Calendar - Plan appointments and see tracked time side by side
Habits - Build, track, and review your habits

3. Start with Your First Project

Open the Work area and create your first project:

Choose the project type — hourly, fixed price, or hobby. It defines how the project handles money and can't be changed later
Give it a clear name and a distinct color
Start a timer from the tracking cockpit in the header — regular or Pomodoro
Save the timer and your first time entry lands on the project

4. Customize Your Experience

Personalize Self-Engine to fit your workflow:

Switch between light and dark mode
Choose custom colors for each module
Set your preferred language (German/English)
Use the keyboard shortcut (Cmd+J / Ctrl+J) to toggle the project tree
Configure your Pomodoro settings (work/break durations)

5. Find Help Anytime

Self-Engine explains itself:

These guides live in the app — open them any time from your profile menu under Help & Guides
Press ? for all keyboard shortcuts and Cmd/Ctrl+K for the command palette
Enable the AI assistant in the settings — it answers how-do-I questions right in the app and can work with your data on request

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper? Check out these resources:

Self-Engine

The productivity engine built around you — time tracking, finances, calendar, and habits, all in one place.