Time management has many facets but it is essentially about doing more or being productive with a set amount of time instead of wasting it with something unproductive.
To me, the mental image that's associated with 'wasting time' is forming my hands into a cup shape and water is poured onto it but instead of drinking the water, I watch it slip away.
I think one of the main causes for wasting time is a lack of awareness, in that we do not know what to do with our time.
At a glance, this implies that we have so much time but the reality is quite different, at least for people in the modern age.
Nowadays, it seems we have so much to do in so little time akin to trying to pack for a long vacation in a carry-on suitcase. It just wouldn't fit.
A standard solution that's given to this time management conundrum is prioritization, often between tasks that are important and urgent.
Urgent tasks demand immediate attention, while important tasks contribute to our long-term goals.
Perhaps, the crucial key is to identify tasks that are both important and urgent, and address those first. A classic example is meeting a critical work deadline. This is a task that is both important (affects one's job performance) and urgent (has a looming deadline).
What's interesting is that in such cases, we often tap from our best resources to do the work to the best of our abilities. Time can be a defining factor in how well we do a work.
The Unexpected Gifts of Routine
Routine comes into play here by helping us form habits from consistently doing the important and urgent things(especially the former).
Through scheduling specific times for these tasks, we create a structure that prevents us from feeling overwhelmed and allows us to pack more into our days, just like fitting everything we need for a long trip into a well-organized carry-on suitcase.
Apart from creating a sense of structure, what I really like about having a routine is over time they free up mental space for us to better tackle the unexpected and spontaneous aspects of life.
What I mean by that is, by automating the important but often mundane tasks through routines, we have more mental bandwidth to deal with surprises, such as a last-minute invitation to a concert or a sudden opportunity to collaborate on a new project.
Basically, routine frees us from the mental burden of constantly deciding what to do next and allow us to embrace spontaneity without feeling like our entire schedule is falling apart.
Time management then becomes more about enjoying the present moments and making the most of unexpected opportunities.
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