What does the optimization make time for? What is the goal? Maximum accumulation of resources? Health? Happiness? If I save ten minutes by meal prepping, do I have to optimize _those_ ten minutes?
Time is the most finite resource any of us have. If you can create more time in your day, you have more to do literally anything else, including doing absolutely nothing if you so choose.
Hmmm! Bookmark your comment here and come back after a few years, or perhaps a decade. I hope you smile by then, and then spend some time doing nothing.
I figured if you were as crazy as OP about "optimizing" then sitting doing nothing would surely be anathema.
Similar to doing nothing being valuable, sometimes doing something "optimally", just isn't worth it -- how do you enjoy cooking a meal you've never cooked before of You're trying to hyper optimally meal prep for the week?
I would say the goal is up to you. If you have a set list of things you want to accomplish in a week, you’d optimize to ensure those tasks are done, and any leftover time can be spent on leisure. That’s just one model.