Choosing the Period and Grid Columns
The period decides how long the plan runs. Grid Columns decides how that stretch is cut into the columns you type targets into.
Two controls on the New Plan form work together, and they are the only two you cannot change afterwards without starting again. The period is the span the plan covers. Grid Columns is how that span is divided.
Three Ways to Set the Period
| Control | What it sets | Grid Columns it selects |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 | The three calendar months of that quarter, e.g. Q2 = 1 April to 30 June. | Monthly |
| Full Year | 1 January to 31 December of the chosen year. | Monthly |
| A single month (Jan…Dec) | The first to the last day of that month, leap years included. | Monthly |
| From / To dates | Any range you type. The preset chip changes to Custom. | Whatever is currently selected — set it yourself. |
Every preset and every month sets Grid Columns to Monthly. If you want a different split, choose it after setting the period — picking a preset again resets it.
Q1 is always January to March. If your financial year does not start in January, use the From / To dates.
Grid Columns
| Choice | Column labels | Sub-label | How the columns are cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Jan, Feb, Mar, … | — | One column per calendar month touched by the period. |
| Quarterly | Q1 2026, Q2 2026, … | — | One column per calendar quarter touched by the period. |
| Weekly | W1, W2, W3, … | The Monday's date, e.g. Jan 5 | Monday-to-Sunday weeks. The first column starts on the first Monday on or after the period start; the last column is trimmed to the period end. |
| Daily | Jan 15, Jan 16, … | — | One column per day. |
How many columns you get
| Period | Grid Columns | Columns |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 (1 Jan – 31 Mar) | Monthly | 3 — Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Full Year | Monthly | 12 |
| Full Year | Quarterly | 4 |
| Full Year | Weekly | 52 — a wide grid; the table scrolls sideways |
| A single month | Daily | 28 to 31 |
Monthly and Quarterly columns are whole calendar months and quarters. A period of 10 February to 20 April with Monthly columns produces three columns — the whole of February, the whole of March, and the whole of April — and the actual figure in each column is read for that whole month, not just the part inside your range. Where the range matters, match the period to calendar boundaries or use Daily columns.
Weekly columns are built from Mondays. If the period starts mid-week, the days before the first Monday sit in no column at all and nothing posted in them can be planned or read. Start a weekly plan on a Monday.
Choosing Well
| You are planning | Use |
|---|---|
| An annual operating budget | Full Year + Monthly — 12 columns is the readable maximum for a long row list. |
| A light annual plan across many rows | Full Year + Quarterly — 4 columns. |
| A quarter you will manage closely | A quarter preset + Monthly. |
| A campaign or a promotion | Custom From / To + Weekly, starting on a Monday. |
| A single trading month for a retail floor | A single month + Daily. |