Procrastination

Lots of us are guilty as procrastinators one time or other. What has been gnawing at you and that you have put off for some time ? And really, you know the consequences when you hold back too long.

Just recently, I had to visit the dental clinic. Admittedly, it is not one of my favourite places. I dread going to the dentist. It is nothing personal about the dentist, in fact my old, regular dentist has retired recently and I was thinking of switching to another one. 

At the back of my mind, I knew the visit had been long overdue. When the cavity started to trouble me, it seemed like I have no choice. If only it was that easy to take a panadol to rid it, unfortunately the tooth ache required special attention. It has hit a raw nerve, so to speak, costing me sleepless nights. Thus an appointment had to be made real soon. Sigh.

What has held me back from going for my regular checks and the much needed scaling? Thinking back it must have been the experience in my early years when I had my dental treatment at a dental hut of my primary school.  I saw the hauling up from class to this little consultation room as a dreaded time that sent shivers down my spine. The mere a sound of the drilling machine would set me running a mile away. I have associated the dental treatment with fear, an anxiety attack.

Going through the dental treatment was not as bad as I thought though it was certainly not a trip to Disneyland. I survived. The new dental clinic I visited had state of the art dental equipment and a TV screen to entertain me, calmed my already frayed nerves. The dentist and his assistant were very professional and reassuring.

What are the cavities in your life that need fixing? Is there anything that you feel you ought to do but have yet to get started? What is holding you back? What do you associate the experience with? What are you moving away from? Take a little time to uncover the answers to these questions and then ask yourself what benefits you when the experience is over?

For me, I have decided to add more value to my set of teeth that will see me through to the rest of my life and it had better start now. The next time you see me, I shall flash you a  smile and with a sparkle in my tooth, you’ll know that I had that gold filling done! : )