Getting Started8 min read

How to Use GetDoneNow: The Complete Guide

Everything you need to know to start owning every 5 minutes of your day. From your first block to daily analytics — here's how GetDoneNow works.

The core concept

GetDoneNow divides your entire day into 5-minute blocks. A live timer counts down each block in real time. Your job is simple: stay focused and validate each block before it ends.

Over a full day, these blocks build a visual map of exactly how you spent your time — block by block, hour by hour.

The lifecycle of a block

05:00Block starts

02:30Halfway

00:15Validate now

✓ DoneValidated

Why 5 minutes?

Five minutes is short enough to maintain urgency but long enough to make real progress. It's the sweet spot between micro-tasking and deep work.

Getting started in 3 steps

You can use GetDoneNow without an account. The timer runs immediately when you open the app.

Open the app

The timer starts automatically. You'll see a countdown ring and your block grid below it — each cell is one 5-minute block of your day.

Stay focused

Work on your task. When the last 15 seconds begin, the ring pulses — that's your cue. Tap the timer to validate the block.

Validate or skip

Were you focused? Tap to validate (green). Taking a break? Tap to mark it as a break. Missed it? The block stays empty. Then the next block begins.

No setup required

GetDoneNow works instantly — no onboarding, no tutorials, no configuration. Just open it and start focusing.

Understanding the block grid

The block grid is the heart of GetDoneNow. Each small square represents one 5-minute block. Over a full day, you have 288 blocks.

Block statuses

Done!

You validated before the block ended — great focus

On a break

You marked this block as a break before it ended

Late done

You validated after the block already passed

Late break

You marked a past block as a break retroactively

Missed

Block passed without any action — untracked time

How to validate & mark breaks

1Current block (the active one)

Validate (green): Tap the timer ring during the warning window (last 15s by default). This is the only way to get a Done! on time.

Break (red): Tap the block cell once in the grid — it turns On a break (on a break). Tap again to undo back to active.

2Past blocks (already ended)

1st tap: Marks as Late done (muted green) — you were focused but forgot to validate.

2nd tap: Switches to Late break (muted red) — you were actually on a break.

3rd tap: Resets back to Missed (grey) — its natural state.

3Future blocks (not started yet)

1st tap: Pre-marks as On a break (red) — plan ahead for breaks or meetings.

2nd tap: Resets back to Pending — its natural state.

On time vs. late

Only blocks validated during the warning window count as "Done!" (vibrant green). Everything else is either a late action (muted colors) or missed. This keeps your focus score honest.

Example: a productive morning

9:00

10:00

11:00

Done! On a break Late done Late break Missed

The PlannerPro

The planner lets you assign tasks to specific time blocks before your day begins. Drag-select a range of blocks, name your task, and see your entire day at a glance.

Plan your day visually

9:00 – 10:00Deep work: Write proposal

12 blocks

10:00 – 10:15Break

3 blocks

10:15 – 11:00Code review

9 blocks

11:00 – 11:30Team standup

6 blocks

3-minute planning

Spend 3 minutes each morning dragging out your tasks. This single habit eliminates decision fatigue for the rest of the day.

Daily Summary & AnalyticsPro

The summary page gives you a full breakdown of your day. Navigate between days to compare performance over time.

78%focus score

Focus score = validated blocks ÷ total elapsed blocks. Only blocks up to the current time count — future blocks are excluded.

6h 10mFocused

91%On-time

1h 25mStreak

10hPeak

What each stat means

Focused — total time in validated blocks (completed × 5 min)

On-time — percentage of validated blocks that were done during the warning window (not retroactively)

Streak — your longest consecutive run of validated blocks in the day

Peak — the hour with the most validated blocks (your most productive hour)

Also included

Timeline

A full-day block strip at 5-minute resolution — green for focus, red for breaks, grey for idle. See your entire day in one glance.

Hourly breakdown

A stacked bar chart for each hour showing focus, breaks, and idle time. Spot your productive hours vs. energy dips.

Time split

A segmented bar showing total focused time, break time, and idle time with exact durations and block counts.

Task breakdown

If you used the planner, each task shows a completion donut, time range, duration, and a per-block progress strip.

Navigate between days

Use the day selector at the top of the summary page to browse past days. Data is loaded from the cloud if you're signed in, or from local storage otherwise.