Stick to a valuation discipline: For every Wal-Mart, there's a Woolworth's

"If you don't buy today, you might miss the boat forever on the stock."

Sticking to a valuation discipline is tough for many people because they're worried that if they don't buy today, they might miss the boat forever on the stock.

That's certainly a possibility - but it is also a possibility that the company will hit a financial speed bump and send the shares tumbling.  The future is an uncertain place, after all, and if you wait long enough, most stocks will sell at a decent discount to their fair value at one time or another.

As for the few that jsut keep going straight up year after year - well, let's just say that NOT MAKING  money is a lot less painful than LOSING money you already have.  For every Wal-Mart, there's a Woolworth's,