Time is never lost, actually. You can lose track of it, but it is always there, stubbornly draining away as you frantically dash around trying to keep up with an unrelenting to-do list. The more responsibilities we assume, the less time is available for fun and creativity. That is a problem, because creativity is food for the soul. We need it. At least I do. All work and no play is a sure path to some sort of personal disaster. Of course there’s always the “you don’t FIND time, you MAKE it!” crowd, who never seem to have time for anything but always want you to make time for them. The only way you can make time is by actively cancelling things that consume it. It is a zero-sum game.
Where does all the time go? Look behind you. See that grey mass of inactivity receding over the horizon? That’s it, and you’ll never get it back. So turn around, face the future, spread your arms out wide, and hug every hour, minute and second that goes by. Once they’re behind you, they’re gone forever.
That, I think, is about the best advice I can give myself at the moment: get busy!