Without a plan or roadmap you're like a ship out at sea without a rudder... drifting around in all the directions the wind blows. Whether it’s buying your first home or investing for retirement, you have to have a plan and strategy. I recommend a simple buy and hold strategy myself. Then the critical step is to stay the course because there will be plenty of good and bad years along the way. Successful investors don’t change course or strategy when they are having a bad year.