The Simmonds Signal

Write to bring peace to your mind. Write to create financial abundance. Write to find your people. Write to discover your personal path to spirituality. Write to know yourself. Write.

Insights, actionable tips, and philosophies for writers, creatives, and storytellers…

Struggle with consistency?

Yeah, me too.

Even after building a multi-6-figure writing business, I still fight—and often lose—the same battle when it comes to fitness.

For a decade, I carried extra pounds.

Not just on my body. In my mind. In my habits. In my excuses.

Every so often, I’d declare enough is enough, drag my sorry self to the gym, drop 5-10 pounds, and then—BAM!—life would get hectic.

Stress would pile up.

And I’d retreat into my old comforts:

• Late-night anime binges

• Mindless munching

• No more gym routine

Weeks later, I’d wake up feeling bloated, slow, and embarrassed.

Right back where I started.

The worst part?

I started telling myself a lie: I’m just not a fitness person.

Like discipline was a personality trait I somehow missed out on at birth.

But deep down, I knew that was a cop-out.

Sound familiar?

Because if you struggle to stay consistent…

If you’ve ever sworn to change but keep crawling back to old habits like a clingy ex-girlfriend who just can't let go…

Then you’re in the same trap I was.

And there’s only one way out.

A Quick PSA.

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How to Manufacture Motivation (And Never Fall Off Again)

People say motivation is a myth.

And I get it.

If you wait around for motivation before working out, writing, or building your business, you’ll wait forever.

But relying on willpower?

That’s even worse.

It’s like dragging your feet through wet cement—every step a struggle, every excuse a temptation.

So what’s the alternative?

You don’t wait for motivation.

You manufacture it.

How?

The Gap.

B.F. Skinner, one of the greatest behavioral psychologists of all time, figured something out that most people still don’t get.

Turns out, you can make a horse drink water.

But only if it’s thirsty enough.

Leave that horse in the sun, dehydrated and desperate, suffering through hours of heat, and the second it reaches the watering hole?

It’ll drink like its life depends on it.

You and I? We work the same way.

Motivation isn’t magic.

It’s the natural reaction to deprivation.

The bigger the gap between where you are and where you want to be, the more painful it becomes to stay the same.

And that pain?

That’s your fuel.

So stop numbing yourself to it.

Look in the mirror and feel the sting of not having a six-pack.

Check your socials and see that you haven’t posted in weeks.

Think about that dream life—the one you swear you’re building—and be honest about how far away you really are.

Let that discomfort burn.

Let it piss you off.

Let it make you move.

Because when you feel the deprivation deep enough, action becomes the only logical choice.

And suddenly, motivation is no longer the problem.

The Easiest Way To Make a Habit Stick

Motivation is great.

But it’s not enough.

Because eventually, you’ll wake up tired.

You’ll have a bad day.

You’ll feel the familiar pull of comfort whispering: skip it, just this once.

And if you don’t have a system in place? You will fall off.

So how do you bulletproof your habits?

First, understand this:

Motivation gets you started.

But habits keep you going.

And habits don’t form through discipline alone.

They form through accountability.

Think about it, do you brush your teeth every day?

Of course you do.

Why?

Because someone stood over you every morning and night, nagging you to do it, until it became second nature.

That’s how habits work.

Accountability creates consistency.

Consistency creates habits.

Habits create results.

The $22 Habit Building Hack

This month, I committed to a 7:30 a.m. spin class, 25 days straight.

I hate waking up early.

I hate spinning.

But every time I skip a class? I get charged $22.

Yesterday, I woke up after six hours of sleep, exhausted and grumpy.

I desperately wanted to go back to bed.

But the pain of losing $22?

Worse than the pain of dragging myself to class.

So I went.

And I felt ten times better afterward.

That’s the power of accountability.

It’s also why I lead the student success team at Growth Ghost.

Every week, we give our students a list of writing tasks.

They check in with us.

And if they don’t complete their work? I personally reach out.

This structure alone has helped students finally build consistent writing habits, publish viral posts, and land their first ghostwriting clients.

Because accountability is like training wheels.

It holds you up until the habit can stand on its own.

You’re not weak for needing it.

You’re smart for using it.

Because here’s the truth:

Every “disciplined” person you admire?

They all had someone holding them accountable.

They're the lucky few who had parents, coaches, or mentors drill healthy habits into them for 18 years.

They got help.

Wether by luck or by choice.

And now, so can you.

So if you’re serious about change…

If you’re tired of the start-stop cycle…

If you’re done making promises to yourself that you never keep…

Then don’t just “try harder.”

Get accountability.

Because that’s how heroes, legends, and world-class performers are made.

And it’s how you’ll finally become the person you were meant to be.

Until next time,

Taylin John Simmonds

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I won’t spoil any of it for you. You’ll want to check it out for yourself.

PPS. Do you feel you’ve taken all the courses, know how to write, market, and sell but still aren’t getting the results you’re after?

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