As a teenager playing baseball, I remember watching a few of my teammates hit home runs over and over again. I remember my coach, knowing I was not the homerun slugger type, encourage me to go for the singles and doubles instead. But being the young rebel I was then and probably still am, I aimed for the bleachers anyway.

And guess what? I kept striking out over and over again.

Well what does that have to do with money, investing and financial planning? Plenty! Given the recent stock market plunge and most likely future plunges, human nature will have those of us that like to aim for the bleachers be tempted to hit a home run in terms of our investment choices. The reason for this, we want to catch-up to where our portfolio was last year or two years ago. Meaning, we’ll take on much more risk in order to hit that home run then is prudent or smart.

The way to counter this temptation is to stick with a plan. Know that singles and doubles (stock index funds and bond index funds) are not the sexy homeruns (individual stocks) that make you feel euphoric inside. Long term investing requires discipline, patience as well as a well thought out financial plan that provides you peace of mind in up markets as well as down markets.

At the end of the day, your singles and doubles will help you reach your long-range financial goals just fine. Will they be as fun and exciting as hitting home runs? No way - but please keep one major thought in mind. Planning for a financially secure retirement is not a game - it’s serious business, and never forget that.