Would you describe yourself as a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of a person, or do you live your life very deliberately? Or are you somewhere in-between? People tend to fall somewhere along a spectrum between unplanned improvisation and a goal driven existence and tend to have strong opinions about these approaches to living. Read today’s blog about Dental Care and Living Life on Purpose.
In today’s busy world, it is easy to lose track of time on diversions. In an effort to keep abreast of current events, we can spend many hours on the Internet. Diversions can include watching television, playing video games, and shopping just to name a few.
A friend described their life as, “Stuff is just going on. It is not planned. I roll with the punches.” Another friend writes goals and objectives for life, makes plans, and follows a strict schedule. The first extreme can lead to surprises and adventure, but a chaotic existence, and the second can be organized and safe but seem boring and regimented.
Perhaps the best way to determine if your lifestyle matches your unique perspective is to clarify your values. Clarification of values is a way to learn what is most important to you so that you can determine whether you are living life in a way that is congruent with your beliefs. The first step is to list your top priorities in their order of importance.
Find Balance
Below is a list of several priorities. Write a number next to twelve that are most important to you. If something is missing, add it to the list and assign a number to it.
List Your Top 12 Priorities
____ Adventure
____ Community
____ Faith, Religion, Church
____ Family
____ Friendship
____ Fun
____ Your health
____ Helping Others
____ Home
____ Intellect and Knowledge
____ Job and Income
____ Love
____ Nation
____ Personal care/appearance
____ Popularity
____ Power
____ Relaxation
____ Security
____ Success
____ Wealth
Think about how you spend your day. How much time do you invest in tasks that do not fit into any of your priorities? Do you have control over your time and activities? If not, how can you align your daily activities to include your priorities? If necessities are not fitting into your schedule, how can you add them? Introspection can help you to live “life on purpose.”
Did you list your health as one of your top priorities? If not, look at the priorities that you chose and consider how your health would impact your chosen priorities. For example, it would be very difficult to seek adventure if you were not healthy. Taking care of your family would be quite challenging. For every item on the list, good health is a prerogative.
List Your Personal Health Priorities from One to Four
____ Medical
____ Dental
____ Nutrition
____ Psychological
____ Exercise
Medical and dental health
Did you list one personal health priority as more important than another? Where did “Dental” fall on your list? While some of these priorities are more time consuming, all are equally important.
Take control of dental health
There seems to be a disconnect between the teeth and the rest of a person’s life. Dental health impacts overall health. Strong healthy teeth help to safeguard overall health. Problems in the mouth can affect the rest of the body.
Mayo Clinic Reports, “Many studies have shown a connection between gum disease (periodontitis) and other serious conditions, including heart disease. Research suggests that periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and that people with chronic gum disease have increased thickness of their neck blood vessels. There is also a strong correlation between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and evidence that people with diabetes benefit from professional teeth cleanings.”
Pat Martin, Office Manager at Pi Dental Center suggests, “Establish good dental habits early in life. If not, your teeth will suffer for it. This consists of home care as well as regular dental check-ups.”
What are your dental priorities?
Prioritizing can lead to a more satisfying life and help you to achieve a delicate balance in your life. Contact Pi Dental Center if you would like to discuss your dental care, schedule a diagnostic evaluation or oral hygiene cleaning.
Alexander Mulvany says
Great Blog. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
Lake Cities Dental says
When I become a Mom, I learned to list down all my priorities. Very helpful way to reach your goals. Scheduling and follows it accordingly is a key to fulfill your task each day. Family, health, career, and relaxations, this is my priorities. To achieved the so called “balance life” for many are having hard time to achieve.
This is a great piece of article Chris..it feels good when you woke up everyday and you feel inspired. That’s the real goal that I always pray each night. It’s very refreshing.
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