We all have the same 24 hours in a day. While we may have different responsibilities, the most productive people learn to use their time in valuable ways no matter how little of it there is. They quickly grasp the best way to use “stolen minutes” in between projects or appointments. Some even keep a non-critical to-do list of all the things they want to do when they have those unexpected moments. That way they can make the most of them when they appear.

But if you want to take your day back and get some of those mission critical things done that you never seem to have time for, you may need to be honest with yourself. Instead of waiting for an opening in your day, create one by taking back your night.

After all, how much is binge watching TV really helping your business?

We get it. You need that down time after a busy day. You don’t want to think. You’re burned out. TV is easy. You’re spending time with family. Whatever your excuse is as to why you’re losing hours in your night staring at a screen, you could be moving your business or yourself forward. If you need to unwind that way, give yourself an hour, not three. Here’s what you could be doing instead with just 1-2 hours each night.

Better Yourself or Your Business in 1-2 Hours a Night

Use your evening time wisely and you’ll see results quickly. In the time it takes to watch a movie, you could be:

1. Learning something new. Not sure how that nurture email should go? Want to learn more about customer engagement techniques? There’s a video on YouTube for that.

2. Growing your follower count. Take time to have conversations with people on social media. Comment on their posts. Answer their questions on yours. Share content. Give to get.

3. Creating a lead magnet. Stop procrastinating and create that lead magnet or think about different types of lead magnets. Choose the type you’d like to create and hire someone to get it done.

4. Looking into freelance or virtual assistants. If you want more time in your day, consider all the things you can give someone else to do for you. What activities are worth your time, and which are not. Outsource what can be done less expensively than your hourly charge. For instance, if you can get someone to create website copy for you for $50 an hour and you bill clients $200 an hour for your time, creating copy is an inefficient use of your time when you could be doing things that are billable at a higher rate.

5. Researching what your competitors are charging. Adjust your rates or prices if need be. Costs are increasing. Are you still turning a comfortable profit?

6. Looking into grants and contests. There’s still a lot of money out there. Some grants can be used for fun things too like curb appeal. Contests can get you new exposure and grow your audience.

7. Setting goals for the year. You don’t have to do this in December. In fact, you should look at your goals periodically to make sure you are on track and that they still fit your business. Don’t forget your professional goals. When you work for yourself, no one is there reminding you to learn about a new marketing trend.

8. Reading online materials that are critical to your business or industry. Follow pundits and industry gurus and take time each day or week to stay on top of trends.

9. Assessing your insurance and legal needs. Think about risk in your business. Are you covered? Reassess periodically.

10. Taming the next day. Look ahead to tomorrow and organize how you will tackle the day. Focus on what must be done and plan to do that first before the fires break out.

While TV is a nice brainless way to unwind, if you feel like you never have enough time in the day, chipping away at couch time is an easy tip to become more productive. We can’t give you more time in your day. But with fewer hours in front of the TV, you’ll feel like you have a greater number of hours than usual.

Christina R. Metcalf (formerly Green) is a marketer who enjoys using the power of story and refuses to believe meaningful copy can be written by bots. She helps chamber and small business professionals find the right words when they don’t have the time or interest to do so.

Christina hates exclamation points and loves road trips. Say hi on Twitter or reach out on Facebook.