During my diet cycles, my regular mantra was, “I’ll start on Monday.” That meant I could continue to eat bad food knowing I was going to change my horrid ways come the next Monday.

But when Monday came, I would mess up by noon. And if I messed up by noon, might as well REALLY mess up. So I would eat triple the calorie count and get a super sized value meal from McDonald’s for dinner.

Monday was always the magic day. The weekend was glorious, full of fabulous fried foods and sugary sweets. But I felt good, because everything was going to change…come Monday.

Whether it’s a diet or kicking some other habit, I promise you that waiting until Monday is doing nothing for you. You are continuing to feed that desire, that addiction – and Monday is just another day.

I’m here to tell you that TODAY IS YOUR DAY. Right now. You don’t need to get your ducks in a row, you don’t need to figure out a plan. You need to decide. NOW.

I am a firm believer in choice. Daily, I choose to love my husband. I choose to follow Jesus. I choose the way I respond to every situation. I choose joy.

I don’t choose what happens to me, but I choose how I respond to it.

Every summer we go to Indian Lake Nazarene Campground near Vicksburg, Michigan. There is a craft barn where you can paint pottery. I wanted to paint a plate to use as an object lesson in my classroom.

So I took a plate and painted the word CHOOSE on it. And I tell my students that every single day we are served with the opportunity to choose. What we do with that opportunity is up to us, but the platter is there, set in front of us.

Last school year I started using the phrase “BEST DAY EVER” every single day with my freshmen. I told them that every day is the best day ever. Of course, I was often greeted with mumbles and groans as they told me that it WAS DEFINITELY NOT the best day ever.

But I asked them the question, “If today was the last day you were going to be alive, would you choose to make this the best day ever?” They nodded.

“Then, since I don’t know if this is my last day, I’m going to live like it is.”

Funny thing is, the more I told my students that every day was the best day ever, the more I started to believe it myself. And when I would offer them the plate, serving them with the opportunity to choose to make today the best day ever, I started making that same choice myself.

Do you really want to change? Do you want your life to dramatically transform? Then why do you keep waiting? What are you afraid of?

I don’t know who you are. I have no idea who will read this post. But I know that I was supposed to write it just for you. Because you keep putting things off until Monday when today is your day. When I finally just decided that it was enough and realized it was time, everything started falling into place.

You don’t have strength. You can’t do it yourself. You need accountability and the Father’s wisdom. But just like you had to answer the door when He knocked, you have to make your mind up. Magical Monday is never going to come.

It’s now.

It’s time.

It’s the best day ever to choose change.