When you are really uncomfortable with something, what do you do? Do you try to ignore it? Do you overpower it? Do you act on it? Here is a novel idea — how about if you just sit with it?
We all want to be comfortable, but sometimes it is at the expense of being comfortable. How? For example, we take advice from that voice in our head that is always pointing out what's wrong with us or our ideas. When was the last time that voice told you to hold off, that this too shall pass?
Judging from the phone calls I have been getting, I bet this election may be making you uncomfortable, too. But what if you didn't react? The problem with doing something is that you are not actually solving a problem, you are avoiding the issue.
How can that be? The issue is that you have a concern about a candidate and there is not much you can do about it. But energy must go somewhere, so you have to take your energy and do something potentially personally destructive with it. Instead, just notice your discomfort and don't try to dislodge it. Allow yourself to be uncomfortable.
Recently, one of our clients sat with discomfort and benefited greatly from it. She left a job that was unfulfilling but paid well and decided to take time off to decide what she really wanted. This meant turning down opportunities because she made a commitment to better understanding her needs. As she explored her situation, she realized that she needed to do something completely different. Had she accepted those other offers, she would have been in the same predicament again. While most of us don't have the luxury of taking time off, we all have an opportunity to take the time to understand what's not working.
Some people are nervous about the stock market — and rightfully so. But is doing something about it always your best course of action? If you choose to get out of the market, you must then decide to get in again. If you wait to get back in until you feel comfortable things will have turned around and prices will be higher. If you feel like you have to do something, make minor changes but don't make big bets, don't chase investments that are too good to be true, and don't make long-term decisions based on short-term situations.
Better yet, sit with your discomfort. It's not the markets that make you uncomfortable, it the thought of losing money that is disconcerting. If you invest according to your own time horizon, this should not be a daily concern. Sometimes the best strategy is to not just do something, sit there.
Spend your life wisely.
Ross Levin is the founding principal of Accredited Investors Inc. in Edina.
