If Trading Is So Profitable, Why Doesn’t Everyone Do It?

If trading is so profitable, why doesn’t everyone do it?

It’s not the markets or needing to be super smart that deters people — it’s the 7 invisible barriers that quietly kill your progress.

After chatting with many beginners from our Skool group, I’ve realized that traders don’t fail because of their strategy… They fail because of 7 simple, fixable barriers that aren’t talked about enough.

Trading itself is shockingly simple, but surprisingly hard when these get in the way. 

In this article, I’ll break them all down so you can finally trade without the stress, confusion, or burnout.

1. Overwhelm from Information Overload

In today’s digital world, there’s an endless stream of trading strategies online, tons of people talking about them, and it’s easy for beginners to get stuck in analysis paralysis because they’re not sure what actually fits their lifestyle.

This definitely happened to me and I wasted many months focusing on “day trading” when ultimately that is a strategy that just wasn’t right for me or my schedule.

The fix? Reflect on your schedule and time available, and eliminate strategies that just won’t work. Then try and find a mentor or group who’s sharing a strategy you can review and see if it’s a good fit.

2. Mindset Over Mechanics

The charts and technicals are extremely important, but unchecked emotions like greed or doubt can derail even the best plans. There’s a huge mindset component to trading.

Master psychology by spotting the traps: Counter greed with disciplined entries; fear with journaling; anger via cooling-off; overconfidence through sticking to the rules; poor discipline with checklists.

Find more info on trading psychology here.

3. Craving Quick Wins Over Steady Build

Social media is full of stories flaunting overnight riches, but real trading growth comes from patient compounding, not chasing flashy highs. Fix it by focus on the longterm and the right strategy. If you’re trading because you need extra money quickly, you will mostly likely make bad decisions. Patience = $ when it comes to trading, specifically with the strategy we focus on.

4. Clash with Daily Routines

Certain trading strategies don’t mix well with those who have a 9-5 job, a busy family life, or just regular commitments during the day. To make it work, you need to find a strategy that doesn’t require you to always trade during market hours. I think a lot of people don’t realize this, then they quit when a strategy won’t fit their schedule. This is why focusing on swing trading or position trading is much more doable for the average busy person.

5. Underestimating Skill-Building Time

It’s easy to assume mastering trading is as simple as watching some course videos, but that skips the crucial hands-on grind. True skill comes from consistent, deliberate practice—like committing to charting one stock per day to reliably spot patterns.

As with any new venture you’re going to feel pumped for the first week, but when the excitement fades, that’s where real discipline kicks in. Remember, your work shapes you more than you shape it—you’re building yourself as a trader, not just drawing lines on a chart.

6. Falling for Flashy Shortcuts (And Staying Dependent)

When you skip learning to trade yourself, you’re stuck relying on others’ stock picks—and that’s no long-term plan. In the beginning, it’s smart to learn from a mentor or group instead of reinventing the wheel, but your goal should be independence, not endless dependence.

Trading without personal conviction leaves you uneasy when things flop, chasing the next shiny object. Build real skills through shared resources like my Skool community, with watchlists and momentum play breakdowns, so you’re empowered, not just copying.

7. Lacking Community

Trading in isolation can breed doubt and lead to early quits before good habits even form. The fix? Surround yourself with accountability partners who are focused on the same strategy. There are many good trading groups out there and I would recommend you join one.

So, if trading is so profitable, why doesn’t everyone do it?

Well, it’s not the markets or some mythical “genius” requirement—it’s these invisible barriers like info overload, emotional traps, lifestyle clashes, and the grind of building real skills that quietly sabotage most beginners.

But here’s the good news: they’re all fixable with the right mindset, strategy, and support. Trading can be simple and stress-free once you tackle them head-on.

If you’re interested in learning about the strategy I’ve been seeing great results with then consider joining our free group on Skool.