Why Most Traders Stay Broke (and How Systematic Trading Fixes It)

Let’s be honest — most traders never get profitable. Not because they lack intelligence or effort, but because they follow the wrong path.

They chase indicators. They tweak chart patterns. They try to predict what the market will do next.

And most of all, they rely on gut feel rather than systematic trading.

If you’ve been in the market for more than a few months and you’re still inconsistent, it’s time for a reset. Here’s why.

The Biggest Cost in Trading Isn’t Losing Money

It’s time.

If you spend 3 to 5 years figuring it out the hard way, you’re not just burning hours… you’re losing compounding.

Even a modest trading edge, compounded over 20 years, can turn into serious wealth. But delay that start by 3-5 years, and the numbers change drastically.

As Adrian Reid, founder of Enlightened Stock Trading, puts it:

“The three years it took me to get profitable cost me millions.”

You’re not just learning slowly — you’re actively missing out on financial freedom.

Complexity Kills. Simplicity Compounds.

Traders love to complicate things.
They layer up indicators.
They draw lines, arcs, fib levels… until it looks like abstract art.

But markets don’t reward complexity. They reward systems.

Here’s what a working system does:

  • Gets you in when the market is rising.

  • Gets you out when it turns.

  • Lets you short the market when things fall.

  • Keeps risk low.

  • Doesn’t rely on guesswork.

It’s not sexy. But it works.

Systematic Trading Speeds Up Success

If you’re trying to become profitable by trial and error, you’re in for a long, expensive ride.

Systematic trading changes the game by giving you:

  • Clear rules

  • Repeatable processes

  • No emotional interference

  • Confidence based on facts, not hope

Adrian’s suggestion?

“The quicker people go to a systematic approach, the quicker you can get profitable and consistent.”

And consistency is where the magic of compounding truly starts.

The Hidden Danger: Blowing Up

Here’s what most traders don’t realise…

If you blow up your account — even once — you don’t just lose money. You lose years.

  • You lose time recovering capital.

  • You destroy confidence.

  • And you delay all future gains.

Many traders take this hit halfway through their journey. They rebuild, but the price they pay in lost opportunity is staggering.

Avoiding this is simple:

The Fast Track: Follow a Proven Path

Yes, you can learn this on your own. But ask yourself:

  • How many years do you want to spend figuring it out?

  • How much are those lost years of compounding worth to your future?

You’re smart. You can figure it out.
But why not shortcut the process?

There are two options:

  1. Spend years testing, failing, tweaking, and blowing up.

  2. Learn from someone who’s already built systems that work — and get there faster.

You know what’s better than being a great trader?

Being a profitable one. Soon.

Trend Trading (also known as Trend Following) is one of my favourite trading strategies because it is very low maintenance and has been profitable over many decades. A good trend following system can make you money for decades! Here are links to my other trend following articles:
A backtested trend trading system is the backbone of most systematic trading portfolios. Read these articles to learn more about trend following!
author avatar
Adrian Reid Founder and CEO
Adrian is a full-time private trader based in Australia and also the Founder and Trading Coach at Enlightened Stock Trading, which focuses on educating and supporting traders on their journey to profitable systems trading. Following his successful adoption of systematic trading which generated him hundreds of thousands of dollars a year using just 30 minutes a day to manage his system trading workflow, Adrian made the easy decision to leave his professional work in the corporate world in 2012. Adrian trades long/short across US, Australian and international stock markets and the cryptocurrency markets. His trading systems are now fully automated and have consistently outperformed international share markets with dramatically reduced risk over the past 20+ years. Adrian focuses on building portfolios of profitable, stable and robust long term trading systems to beat market returns with high risk adjusted returns. Adrian teaches traders from all over the world how to get profitable, confident and consistent by trading systematically and backtesting their own trading systems. He helps profitable traders grow and smooth returns by implementing a portfolio of trading systems to make money from different markets and market conditions.