timothy sykes logo

Trading Lessons

Can a 1954 Secret Triple Your Trading Success?

Timothy SykesAvatar
Written by Timothy Sykes
Updated 7/31/2023 5 min read

In 1954, a barrier was shattered…

Giving rise to a principle that’s subtly influenced the world of sports, music, and business.

It all has to do with an unexpected event, which at the time was believed to be impossible.

And even though it happened nearly 70 years ago…

I believe it’s one of the main reasons I have so many millionaire students.

What Happened On May 6, 1954?

© Millionaire Media, LLC

Before that date, no one had ever run a mile in under four minutes…

To put that in perspective, the modern Olympic Games began in 1896…

But the mile run dates back even longer than that.

And during all that time, no one had ever run a mile in under four minutes…until Roger Banister did.

But what happens next is pretty wild.

You see, Bannister didn’t get to hold the record for that long.

In fact, it lasted just 46 days.

But Roger’s feat will always be remembered

Moreover, The Bannister Effect. 

The Bannister Effect

© Millionaire Media, LLC

The Bannister Effect occurs when a psychological barrier is broken.

Once other runners believed a sub-four-minute mile was possible…more and more runners started to achieve the goal.

So you might be thinking cool…but what does this have to do with me and trading?

EVERYTHING.

You see, when you first get into trading, you’re likely to get crap from your friends and family.

You’ll hear things like most people who get into trading lose everything…and that the odds of success are low.

And while there’s some truth to that…

I’ve managed to do the impossible myself.

But moreover, I have over 30 millionaire students who have taken my program. 

What Do You Believe?

© Millionaire Media, LLC

I didn’t have a mentor when I started trading.

I had to learn everything by trial and error.

But my students have a significant advantage over most, in my opinion.

Because they not only get to learn from me but from the countless others, who have succeeded in taking my program.

If you surround yourself with winning traders…there’s a good chance some of that might rub off on you.

There’s an even better chance if you sit down, study hard, and do the work.

My Challenge Students don’t just hear from me…

They hear it from other millionaire traders who once wondered if they would make it.

However, if you surround yourself with negativity, you’ll start to believe that success in trading is impossible.

Trading is challenging…having people around who make it harder won’t help you reach your goals.

Breaking Barriers

© Millionaire Media, LLC

In 1954, when that barrier was broken…

It wasn’t just about a mile run in under four minutes.

It set the stage for something bigger.
Think about it.

When someone tells you something’s impossible, doesn’t it linger in your mind? That’s how it was with trading for a long time.

People used to laugh at the idea of becoming a millionaire through trading. They still do. But what if I told you that the same principle that led to the breaking of the four-minute mile has been at the heart of my success and that of my students?

The thing is, once you see others do it, once you’re surrounded by success, the ‘impossible’ suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. It becomes achievable, just like that mile. The same goes for trading.

The success of my millionaire students isn’t a fluke.

It’s a testament to the power of belief, persistence, and the right environment. You might call it a mindset, but it’s more than that.

It’s a blueprint for success. It’s proof that with the right approach, the ‘impossible’ can become your new normal.

Want In?

tim sykes grand canyon
© Millionaire Media, LLC

There are two ways I can help right away.

  1. Start receiving ideas from my team and me. They are 100% free of charge
  2. Talk to a team member and see if you fit my coaching program. You can book a call here. 

How much has this post helped you?



Leave a reply

Author card Timothy Sykes picture

Timothy Sykes

Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of bar mitzvah money. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading strategies. He’s been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, Men’s Journal, and more. He’s also an active philanthropist and environmental activist, a co-founder of Karmagawa, and has donated millions of dollars to charity. Read More

* Results are not typical and will vary from person to person. Making money trading stocks takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are inherent risks involved with investing in the stock market, including the loss of your investment. Past performance in the market is not indicative of future results. Any investment is at your own risk. See Terms of Service here

The available research on day trading suggests that most active traders lose money. Fees and overtrading are major contributors to these losses.

A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

A 2014 paper (revised 2019) titled “Learning Fast or Slow?” analyzed the complete transaction history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2006. It looked at the ongoing performance of day traders in this sample, and found that 97% of day traders can expect to lose money from trading, and more than 90% of all day trading volume can be traced to investors who predictably lose money. Additionally, it tied the behavior of gamblers and drivers who get more speeding tickets to overtrading, and cited studies showing that legalized gambling has an inverse effect on trading volume.

A 2019 research study (revised 2020) called “Day Trading for a Living?” observed 19,646 Brazilian futures contract traders who started day trading from 2013 to 2015, and recorded two years of their trading activity. The study authors found that 97% of traders with more than 300 days actively trading lost money, and only 1.1% earned more than the Brazilian minimum wage ($16 USD per day). They hypothesized that the greater returns shown in previous studies did not differentiate between frequent day traders and those who traded rarely, and that more frequent trading activity decreases the chance of profitability.

These studies show the wide variance of the available data on day trading profitability. One thing that seems clear from the research is that most day traders lose money .

Millionaire Media 66 W Flagler St. Ste. 900 Miami, FL 33130 United States (888) 878-3621 This is for information purposes only as Millionaire Media LLC nor Timothy Sykes is registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition, Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as the sole basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future returns.

Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”