We went on a family trip to Lexington, KY last weekend. It’s usually about a two-hour drive from our house without traffic, construction, or emergency pit stops for the kids (rarely are we this lucky though). We drove the first hour and 45 minutes without any trouble…besides the rain, it was smooth sailing. Until the last 5 miles, that’s when it all changed.
Three exits from our destination, we hit a traffic jam on New Circle Road between Harrodsburg Rd. and Nicholasville Rd. If you’re familiar with Lexington, this is not uncommon on a rainy, Friday evening…almost expected really. Logically, I knew this was easily the shortest route and whatever was slowing down the traffic would likely clear up by the next exit and probably only slow us down by 15-20 minutes.
In reality though…it was 7:30 on a Friday, it was dark, it was raining, our four-year-old was getting restless and hungry, we were out of snacks, and, to top it all off, our 9-month old decided that he was D-O-N-E…DONE being in a car. This is the moment when my best intentions turned into a rational, yet regrettable decision. Sitting in traffic, Google Maps made it clear what to do. There was nothing but dark red on the map for the next mile…but if we exited now and rerouted, nothing but green. So…I decided to follow my impulse and assert my control over the situation by changing course. Fast forward 50 minutes later and we finally arrive at our destination with elevated blood pressure, elevated stress levels…and no time saved.
In hindsight, staying the course and waiting out the traffic would have still gotten us to our destination and likely quicker than changing course. But, in the moment, it can be difficult not to act on impulse and try to assert control in an uncontrollable situation, especially when emotions are running high. Sometimes simply doing nothing is the best option.
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October has been a rough month for the stock market. This is the second time this year that we’ve experienced this type of volatility and decline. After years of watching the market climb consistently and with little volatility, it’s totally normal to feel nervous when the market goes down. It’s also normal to feel the urge to assert control on the situation and do something. But, in reality, doing nothing and staying the course is more often than not the best option.