What do great traders have in common?
This isn’t about strategy or tactics…
They make a difference, but there are a TON of successful strategies (and tactics).
It also isn’t about character traits.
I know some incredible traders with outstanding character.
But I’ve also met more than a few shady characters in the past quarter century.
What about personality?
Every single one of my 50+ millionaire students has a unique personality…
So, what is it?
ANY Great Trader Treats It Like a Business
That might sound oversimplified, but check it out…
It doesn’t matter if you’re a crypto trader, options trader or forex trader.
If you’re serious about trading and you really want to be great, you MUST treat it like a business.
Which means you have to understand how to think that way.
Do you think business people judge the success of their business solely by profit and loss?
I mean, maybe a few robots do that. But every business owner and entrepreneur I know goes deeper.
With trading, it’s important that you dive into each and every trade.
• What could you have done better?
• How can you improve on your next trade?
• What was the pattern?
• Did you stick to your plan?
• Were you disciplined in cutting losses (or locking in gains)?
Trading is not about perfection as much as it’s about progress.
Grow your knowledge account first. Then, over time, grow your brokerage account, too.
ANY Good Trade Is a Win
This is going to be counterintuitive, but it’s SUPER important.
It doesn’t matter if you win big or small. And it doesn’t matter if you take a loss. As long as it is a good trade, it’s a win.
How is that possible?
You stop judging by profit and loss. If you trade your plan perfectly and take a loss, it’s just a loss. That’s it.
Here are two examples of small wins from after-hours trading.
Neither is huge (one was PUNY).
And neither of these trades met my goals.
But guess what? Any trade you learn from is a win.
I learned from BOTH trades (and I followed my plan and locked in the small gains).
On September 8, Sphere 3D Corp. (ANY) spiked after the company announced “pricing of a $5.0 million private placement, and divests non-core assets to fund AI and high-performance computing development.”
Also, ANY is a former runner.
Check out the 6-month chart below because it follows my 7-step framework.
Source: Stocks To Trade
ANY, 6-month, daily candles, 7-step framework, former runner.
It’s pretty cool that the framework still holds true all these years later.
The fact that ANY is a recent supernova means traders remember it.
And because it also ran last month, it was probably on a few watchlists:
Source: Stocks To Trade
ANY, 1-month, 1-day, runner on August 21, 2026.
My ANY After-Hours Trades
I absolutely LOVE the after-hours moves we’re seeing.
So, when I got the alert for ANY (see the chart below), I started watching for a potential entry.
I didn’t want to chase, so I was really looking for a pullback…
Source: Stocks To Trade
ANY, 9/8/26, after-hours, breaking news, choppy dip buy.
I got a partial fill on the pullback (and my goal was 10%–20%).
Since it was trading super choppy, I locked in the small single.
After my first trade, ANY had a sharp pullback right to the same area of support.
I thought it might bounce again because so many of these after-hours spikers have been going in waves.
Source: Stocks To Trade
ANY, 9/8/26, after-hours trade, bounce play.
My goal was smaller on the second trade (only 5%–15%).
It turned out to be a sleeper (and I was tired), so I cut for a tiny gain and called it a night.
But before I fell asleep, I followed my own rule: journal your trades.
For me, it’s a habit (and how I alert students).
I always journal both entry and exit.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, right? Just create the habit because it’s what ANY great trader would do.
If you have any questions, email me at SykesDaily@BanyanHill.com.
Cheers,
Tim Sykes
Editor, Tim Sykes Daily
