What have you always wanted to do, but haven’t gotten around to? Are there activities you wish you had more time for? Many of us can name a few right away. We are aware of the things we eventually want to accomplish or experience, but we have yet to get there. And worse yet, we have yet to even try to get there.

I am sure you have heard the bit of wisdom that time is your greatest asset. We nod when we hear this; we acknowledge it. But many of us fail to act on this wisdom. We fail to truly take it to heart. I know I have been guilty of this in the past, and every once in a while, I still am. But it is unfortunate, and we can (and should) change our mindset accordingly.

In Tal Ben-Shahar’s book Happier, he talks about his work with fatally ill patients, and his surprising findings that when diagnosed with a life threatening disease, many people actually end up… happier. They are given no new knowledge, no secret key to unlock this happiness, they are only given the awareness that they have very little time left on this earth. They start enjoying every moment they have left, they start being mindful. They don’t waste time on poisonous activities or people they may have in the past. They live with no regrets, and they live with intent. They have learned nothing new, but with the knowledge they already had, they become happier. How cool is that?

We have the power and the knowledge, right now, this very instant, to become happier. We just have to start putting in a little effort.

After all, we know that finding time isn’t easy. We live extremely busy lives, and it is easy to get caught up in the commotion. We have to take a look at what is truly important, and then act accordingly.

So how do you spend your time? What would you rather be spending your time on?

Jot down the number of hours you have spent on certain activities in the past couple of days – the past week, if it helps. It can be surprising to see just how much time you spent on Facebook, or rolling through episode after episode on Netflix. Reflect on what you can cut out of your life to start making your goals and aspirations a reality.

Start asking yourself what will make you truly happy. Reading a good book? Taking time to meditate when you wake up, and relax with a cup of coffee in the morning? Going on a nice long walk with a loved one? Start living with intent. Live like you mean it. Be mindful of what you are doing at that very moment.  Then, take the time to actually enjoy it.

All we have in this world is time. How we spend it is up to us.

We have the power to rearrange our priorities to align with what we really value, and who we really aspire to be. We have the opportunity to allocate our time in more beneficial ways.

We simply need to stop making excuses, and start taking action.