I recently had this question come up in a conversation with a client, who was on the verge of selling his house. He loves that house. It’s all that he really needs, but he was in the mental trap that so many of us fall into at times of feeling like he “needs to do something!”

“The housing marketing is ‘red hot,’” he told me from across the table. “Why wouldn’t I sell! Plus, home prices are sky high,” he continued, “so I should sell, right?”

I drew a deep breath and thought about the For Sale sign in his front yard and said, “Not necessarily. Let’s talk about this.”

There’s a lot that goes into decisions like this one. But I want to give you an analogy. I call it my “Cows vs Meat” analogy.

“Suppose you own a dairy farm. Cows produce milk, but they also produce meat. What if the market for beef goes down, do you sell all your cows? Does that mean that the price of milk drops also? No, because these are two separate things.

There are dairy cows and also beef cows. Cattlemen, who own cows understand the ups and the downs of their market. Beef cattle may sell at a record high one day but the next the price drops. You don’t run out and sell all that’s in your field just because there is a drop or an upward spike. The market fluctuates one day or even for one week! You may sell some cows but not an entire herd!

You need to keep your perspective. To do this you need to learn about the market and its ever changing climate—something I have studied for 26 years now.

Sure, you may want to “do something,” especially if the messages you are internalizing are bringing up thoughts of fear over what your IRA will look like after November 3. But here’s the truth, November 3 is not a magic date! We won’t get through the political environment on that date.

The market may drop but it also may go up. So, what do you really need to do–I suggest that you talk with a trusted advisor. Go over your investment plan. Have that person walk you through the different scenarios for the future.

The one thing that my Liberated Investors do is ask questions! They message me; set up quick appointments; and they get answers.

If you have an inner feeling that you should be “doing something” let’s talk! Download my fourth edition of the Liberated Investor or message me. Set up a 15-minute consult. Ask questions and become informed. Knowledge is powerful, especially in this market.

Finally, I want you to know that “just” doing something is rarely the wisest thing to do. But becoming informed is. Is there something you need to do concerning your portfolio? Maybe but maybe not.

One client recently told me that he had a stock pile of cash and wanted to do something with it. I asked him that if we were back in April, what would he do? The point is, you need to have a plan in place for the future and stick with it. You need an expert to lead you through this, especially if you are uncertain about what you have now and how it is invested.

When you boil it all down, you really can’t do anything to change the course of the county and the market, but you can learn to invest wisely in light of where you are today and where you want to go tomorrow.

Can you get to a better place emotionally and mentally and financially? Yes, but you need to have specific knowledge about your future plans, dreams, and how to reach these.

This morning I talked with a client for 15-minutes and as we talked about the future and his portfolio, I noticed his shoulders had dropped. He let go of the intense amount of worry that he was carrying. He was no longer feeling a sense of deep stress. You are not meant to bear such huge burdens.

Do something for yourself today. Download my latest edition of the Liberated Investor and then schedule a 15-minute consultation with me. I bet I have some answers you need to hear. Best of all: it’s free!