We’re always looking forward to something.

Maybe you can’t wait to see your favorite band coming into town in two weeks. Maybe on Monday you’re wishing Friday would come a little faster so you can spend more time with friends. You might even be dreading going to a dentist appointment days away, or having to see your cranky Aunt Ursula at next month’s family reunion.

Don’t let Aunt Ursula ruin the time you have in between.

We spend the majority of our time planning, thinking and worrying about what’s on deck, dwelling on how the future will play out. Wishing days away only makes your life shorter and less enjoyable, and unfortunately in this case, your wish will be granted, no genie required. Instead, take advantage of the here and now.

Many people live by the phrase carpe diem. Seize the day. But there’s no need to mash together the many opportunities you have within a whole day to feel a sense of accomplishment.  Forty-five minutes of lunch one day could become the greatest lunch you’ve ever had by sitting down, focusing on your friends and food, and stopping worrying about that math test coming up until it’s time to take it.

Too many times in my past I’ve missed out on chances to create lasting memories while I thought about the next big thing I had to do (case in point: a math test). A nickel for every time I wondered about something eventful coming soon rather than living in the moment would make me a very rich man indeed. Make life easier on yourself and focus on what needs to be done so you can make something memorable out of all your experiences (that even includes trying to learn something while you’re in school).

I’ve truly enjoyed my time at Glenbrook North and made great use of the many opportunities it provides its students, but most of my memories can be clumped into chunks of time, waiting weeks or months for a couple hours of enjoyment. Seven perfect chances to do something meaningful can too easily be turned into “that week I did one cool thing,” and makes me wonder what happened to these four years of mine called high school. At one point it seemed like an eternity, and after a blink it’s almost come to an end.

For me, living in the present is more relevant now than ever before. Going off to college in a few short months is an exciting prospect for me – a chance to meet new people, explore new places and learn more about myself and the world. But I have those months to enjoy still, about 100 days that without thinking could become a drawn out period of time anticipating one new experience when it could be 100 unique ones.

Most of you reading now don’t have to worry about having a short amount of time before leaving the people you know and the town you grew up in for a new chapter in your life miles away. Even so, right now is a great chance to start holding yourself accountable for making every day one you will remember. And only you can let Aunt Ursula ruin that for you.