Set Up Portfolio Manager for the First Time

After installing Portfolio Manager, complete this initial setup to create your first projects and configure your weekly time budget.

On first launch, Portfolio Manager creates a database and a configuration file in ~/.portfolio_manager/. The main window opens to an empty Dashboard. The following steps walk you through creating your initial portfolio.

1. Click Settings in the tab bar.

2. In the Weekly budget (hours) field, enter the number of hours per week you realistically have available for personal projects.

   This is not a target—it is a planning constraint. Be honest about available time including commutes, evenings, and weekends.

3. In the Default session duration (minutes) field, enter your typical session length.

   90 minutes is a good default for focused creative or technical work. Adjust to 30 or 60 minutes if your schedule typically allows shorter blocks.

4. Click Save in the Settings tab.

5. Click the Projects tab.

6. Click New Project and create your first one to three active projects.

   Start with the projects that matter most right now—the ones you want to make real progress on this week. You can add more projects later. See Create a Project for detailed instructions.

7. For each project, add two to five milestones that describe meaningful outcomes you are working toward.

   See Create a Milestone for instructions.

8. Click the Sessions tab and create sessions for the current week.

   Aim to schedule at least one session per active project. See Create a Session for instructions.

9. Click the Dashboard tab to review the initial portfolio state.

   The Dashboard shows all active projects with their initial scores and session counts.

Your portfolio is set up and ready. Return to Portfolio Manager after each work session to mark it done, and complete your first weekly review at the end of the week.