The 7 PM Problem

You get home at seven with a plan. At 11:40 you're watching a man restore a rusty shovel. You don't own a shovel.

Your evening has a default, and when you're tired, the default wins. I went through the 2025 American Time Use Survey to see where the hours really go, then put together six small fixes for getting just the first hour back. The last part is about watching the shovel video on purpose.

CHAPTERS
00:00 The 7 p.m. promise
00:40 Where the hours go
02:16 Why evenings disappear
04:27 Fix 1: decide at five
05:31 Fix 2: a doorway
06:21 Fix 3: make it lazy to start
07:16 Fix 4: make the couch expensive
08:00 Fix 5: a tired menu
08:48 Fix 6: give the night an ending
09:55 Just the first h…