# Why does my time balance show a negative amount right after I set up my daily target?

This is almost always caused by the "Balance since" start date your [time balance]({{< relref "time-balance.md" >}}) calculation runs from — if it's set further back than you expect, days before you actually started tracking with a target get counted against you.

Adjust that start date to when you actually want the calculation to begin. You can also set the balance directly as of a specific date, rather than only moving the start date — handy if you already know exactly what your balance should read at that point.