Fate is determined between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Harvard has a well-known theory: The difference between people lies in their spare time, and a person's fate is determined between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Think about it carefully, and it's really so.
During the day, we are all swept along by work and study, moving forward at a fast pace. Time is fragmented, and the only truly uninterrupted period of time we have left for ourselves is in the evening. And how to make use of this period of time?
Over time, a gap begins to emerge between people.
Two hours before bedtime is the best time for you to invest in yourself.
Many people go home at night, finish their meals and tidy up. Habitually, they lie down on the sofa, watch short videos, watch dramas, or play games, trying to relieve the fatigue of the day with a brief period of happiness.
If you let these two hours slip away easily every day, after a few years you will find that apart from aging and more wrinkles, nothing else seems to have changed.
On the contrary, those who set aside specific time before bed for reading, further education, reflection, or participating in meaningful discussions may, without drawing much attention, achieve significant progress in their lives.
Behind this, it is the "compound effect of time" at work.
Two hours every day may not seem like much, but if you stick to it, it adds up to 730 hours in a year.
If you persist for five years, it amounts to a full 3,650 hours. Imagine spending nearly 4,000 hours in any field. You can transform from a complete novice to an expert in that particular area.
During these times, you can devote yourself to deepening your expertise, building your knowledge framework, or exploring a side business that interests you, or even acquiring a new skill for making a living.
Successful people are all "nighttime investors"
Look at those who have achieved success in various fields. Without exception, almost all of them are "investors" who make efficient use of their evening time.
Entrepreneurs like Ren Zhengfei and Jack Ma, during the early stages of their businesses, usually spent their nights thinking about strategies, refining products, and immersing themselves in intense learning.
The writer Haruki Murakami has, for decades, gone to bed at 9 p.m. and got up at 4 a.m., writing countless excellent works in the quiet solitude without any disturbance.
For them, night is not the end of the day, but the beginning of self-renewal.
How you spend your nights is how you spend your entire life.
Of course, it doesn't mean that everyone has to study hard for these two hours. "Meaningful utilization" depends on your goals.
If your goal is to relax your mind and body, then practicing calligraphy, learning to paint, listening to music, are all valuable nourishments.
The key is that you need to consciously manage this time, rather than letting it be consumed unconsciously.
Don't let your night be completely occupied by passive entertainment. Take the initiative and make the choice, rather than passively accepting.
Here are a few suggestions to help you restart two hours before bedtime.
- Start with small goals: Don't immediately set yourself the task of studying for two hours every day. You can start with 30 minutes, reading 10 pages of a book, or taking one online course.
- Create the environment: Stay away from your phone (this is the most crucial step), find a quiet corner, make yourself a cup of tea, and enter a state of study or contemplation.
- Content Selection: Choose the content that truly empowers you, whether it's classic books, professional reports, high-quality documentaries, or interviews.
- Combined Output: Just inputting information alone results in a very low retention rate of knowledge. After reading, take a few minutes to write down a summary note. After learning a certain concept, try to restate it. Input and output together can form a closed loop.
- Maintain the rhythm: Consistency is more powerful than occasional bursts. Make it a natural habit like brushing your teeth or washing your face.
Time is the most equitable capital. Where you invest it, that's where you will reap the rewards.
Fate rarely reverses suddenly. Instead, it is often hidden in those quiet moments of the night, and in every two-hour period that you choose deliberately.
Starting from tonight, try to turn off the screen, pick up a book, or focus your mind to think.
If you persist for several years, success will surely come to you.
Believe me, wherever you spend your time, the beauty of life will bloom there.
