Get It Done!

Monsoon has started in my part of the world and I was enjoying the rains with a ‘hot’ cup of tea watching the rain drops splattering my canopy which extended beautifully out on my terrace. My 11-year old son came to me and offered me some ‘crisp’ popcorn he had made as we were about to watch some Star Wars episode on our home theatre. And Mr Kentucky had been ordered to get us enjoy some ‘crunchy’ delicacies from its industrial food outlet — the KFC. If you noticed I have put three words in quotes and no! these are not typos! That’s on purpose. Can you guess what’s common between these three words — besides the obvious fact that they are to be drunk & devoured? Yes, you guessed it — these three adjectives affect the teeth! LOL. I had been so used to saying an emphatic NO to these things and had created my own alternate world around this that today, even after a series of dental clinic visits, I still get chills when I think of enjoying these charms of life.

I had gotten into a habit of carrying floss, toothpicks, paper napkins, and a standing instruction to all to offer me only warm, soft, and easy chewable stuff. But once I went to see the dentist and got the procedure done, I realized how baseless my fear was and how easily I could come back to my crunchy, crispy meals & hot drinks. It was completely unnecessary to create this alternate world for me and realised how easily I could have avoided the number of days I suffered pain and agony by delaying my visit to the doctor.

Why? Why do we find alternatives rather than take care of the problem? Why do we create an entire alternate world and try not to face and purge the problem? Unlike popular survey numbers where it’s said that in the USA, more than 75% adults are scared of visiting a dentist, I wasn’t afraid at all. I am lucky to have found a dentist who is known for painless dentistry and actually delivers lectures on this topic to the aspiring dentists. Then what was the reason? I am sure it was just procrastination. Conveniently avoiding taking an appointment and citing reasons like it’s not safe to visit during COVID times, or that my travel is coming up so what if I get post procedure pain, or that I will do it on Monday…lol…etc. seem to be the only explanation for all this. We invariably avoid taking the bull by its horns because we are scared of the uncertain. In my case though I was not scared there still is that unpleasant feeling of the drill and tiny tools entering my mouth and our total realization of helplessness.

And do you know the paradox in this situation? Many of us who procrastinate in personal matters do not do so in work areas. To achieve targets or create impression on the bosses or appear quick and smart in front of colleagues, we would surely take the bull by the horn and in fact go even a step forward and actually visualize the situation in advance and plan ahead! This oxymoron is because when it comes to income and impression over peers we act fast but when it comes to matters related to health we tend to put it on the back burner.

Having analyzed this situation, closely and personally, I came across a few tips which may help in this regard:

1. Remember a role model: Normally this always works because I did. Identify someone within your family or friends circle who is very prompt and is always on the go. Then think of what this person would have done in the situation facing you. You will know what needs to be done.

2. Keep your contacts handy: Many a times we delay or skip calling up the Dr or the consultant or lawyer at the right moment because their contact details aren’t handy. Create a list of people without whom your life would be miserable: Doctor, lawyer, plumber, electrician, driver, assistant, children’s teachers…and the list can go on. In case of need, you have their contact and you can resolve matters at the first thought.

3. Set your priorities right: Personal wellbeing — be it health, finance, or any legal matter — should be your top priority always. Do not postpone or put personal matters on the back burner and attend to them only when your work or profession related matters are sorted out. One thing about work is that it never ceases to exist. It’s always there and you cannot wait for it to get over before you attend to your needs.

4. Understand & appreciate: Believe me, once you get into the habit of resolving the matter as and when it arises and not waiting for it to convert into a virus, life will be so much better. After creating alternate world for myself when I had those dental issues, when I resolved the matter, I felt like why did I delay this even by a day? It was definitely not worth it. And waiting for the storm to subside organically does not help. Being proactive does.

Thank you for reading. Hope the story helps. As put simply by Leo Babauta, “Do what matters, now.”