I work second shift at a company about 20 minutes from where I'll be living. I could've stayed on the first shift, but I get a decent pay differential by being on second. It's M-F.

What I'm starting to realize is that this leaves very little time during the day to actually go on dates if I were to do so (I haven't had one since January, and at age 25, I've only had 6 dates). But my weekends would be open, ideally for approaching/self improvement and other things.

I will usually also work an hour or two of overtime a night, so I'll be home by midnight or so. I now wake up at 9 am every day, and may even push this back to 8:30. I am in the gym from 9:45 to 10:15/10:30, and back home by 10:45. That leaves about 1.5 hours of free time, and then I drive the 20-25 minutes to work at 12:20.

This is not an ideal schedule. But it works. I just wonder how I can maximize its effectiveness. One bonus I have is that I'll be living within walking distance from a bunch of bars, restaurants, cafes, a large park and a college.

What would you do in my position? I won't be on second shift forever. Only until my increased income becomes fixed, and I can move to the first shift.