At the beginning of stave five, scrooge is happy that the "time"before him is his own. Why would time be so important to Scrooge?

Scrooge is an old man and ready to make-up for lost time. He wants to move forward, fix past mistakes, enjoy the things that are important, and help those in need. The Spirits have exposed Scrooge's worst traits..... Scrooge now wants to take the time he has left to change those traits within himself.