TIME means that you are patient, you allow time to work for you, and you maintain a sense of historical perspective. History strongly suggests that if you keep investing in stocks, or, better yet, stock mutual funds, for a long enough period of time, you will make money and you will feel more comfortable as you do so.

Discipline means that you cultivate the long-term perspective necessary to let the program work. It means that you try to avoid the emotions of fear, greed, and shame that ruin most investors. History shows us that once you have attained the risk level you desire, it’s often better to sit and endure. Admittedly, talking about this is easy, and living it is more difficult. The goal of discipline is always professional serenity. 

Consistency implies that you use time and discipline to avoid radical, emotionally driven moves, and that you pay attention to the basics and resist the fads and frenzies of the moment. The basics of this business change grudgingly and rarely, and the basics will make you a successful investor. The results of consistency should be organization and simplicity.