The Simmonds Signal

Weekly insights for artists, writers, and storytellers to turn art into a fulfilling, sustainable career.

Happy (early) New Year 🥳🎊🎉

2024 has been a wild, turbulent, and transformative year for me.

I traveled to 11 countries, sat with shamans, danced at the world’s biggest music festival, and launched four new offers.

My team and I wrapped up the year making around $400,000 in gross revenue—$100K less than last year because we shut down our ghostwriting agency to focus on other projects.

But now, with 2025 fast approaching, it’s time to turn the page.

I want to keep the momentum going—and get a head start on next year’s goals.

Which is why I want to talk to you.

Your 2024?

Maybe it didn’t go as planned.

Maybe this was supposed to be the year you’d become a full-time digital writer, ghostwriter, or entrepreneur. You worked hard and put yourself out there… but it still didn’t happen for you.

Now, as 2025 looms, you’re left wondering: Will it ever happen?

Maybe you feel like you’re wasting your time, doing everything right but still getting nowhere.

And worst of all, that nagging thought keeps haunting you:

What if this never happens for me?

It’s a brutal feeling. I know it well.

A few years ago, I was stuck in a job I no longer loved, writing late into the night, staring at my laptop wondering if all the hard work would ever pay off.

The life I wanted—freedom, travel, meaningful work—felt impossibly far away.

And when you’re unsure about your next step, every step feels like it could be wrong.

That kind of uncertainty? It’s exhausting.

Pouring your time, energy, and hope into something when you’re not sure it’ll work out—it’s enough to break anyone.

But here’s the thing:

2025 can be the year it works out for you.

And it will—if you take the right actions.

That’s what I want to talk to you about next.

If you’re ready to leave the doubt, confusion, and frustration behind, let’s dive into the framework I'm using to achieve my 2025 goals:

A quick PSA:

Growth Ghost launches this January—a proven system to help writers and freelancers turn their love of writing into a profitable ghostwriting business.

Learn how I:

•⁠ ⁠Land high-paying clients
•⁠ ⁠Built a steady stream of income with writing
•⁠ ⁠Get paid to learn from 7 figure founders

Early access starts soon. Join the waitlist HERE to secure your spot.

The PAL Framework (Purpose, Agency, Lucidity)

I discovered the PAL framework during my time in deep solitude.

It’s built on my three core values—principles that serve as a guiding light, helping me navigate through uncertainty and self-doubt toward my goals.

But before I had PAL, I was just like most people—unclear, unsure, and constantly second-guessing myself.

I hadn’t taken the time to figure out what I truly valued, and because of that, I didn’t know what to prioritize.

And when you don’t know what matters most to you, you get stuck in a cycle:

• You feel confused, not knowing what step to take next

• You feel overwhelmed, drowning in options but unsure what’s actually worth your time

• You feel paralyzed, afraid of wasting your energy on the wrong moves

It’s exhausting, isn’t it?

You wake up with a heavy sense of uncertainty and go to bed with the same nagging doubts. Every decision feels like a gamble, and without clarity, it’s impossible to build momentum.

That’s where the PAL framework comes in.

PAL isn’t just another theoretical success framework. It’s grounded in the same actionable steps I used to achieve my 2024 goals (only refined and improved).

It’s my antidote to chaos:

• Purpose
• Agency
• Lucidity

Here’s why these matter:

• Without purpose, you lack direction—no clear goals to aim for

• Without agency, you lack control—no healthy habits to stay consistent

• Without lucidity, you lack clarity—no effective action to get real results

If you’ve been feeling stuck, spinning your wheels, or unsure why your efforts haven’t paid off, it’s likely because one (or more) of these pieces is missing.

The good news? Once you identify what’s holding you back, everything starts to click.

Let me show you how to apply PAL to your own life.

1) P - Purpose (A Strong Sense of Direction)

Purpose isn’t some grand cosmic revelation. It’s not waiting for you in a meditation retreat or on a mountaintop.

It’s a clear, meaningful goal that's paired with a strong why. One that gives you the energy to persist when things get hard.

This purpose doesn’t need to be perfect or lifelong—just meaningful enough to guide you and give you direction in 2025.

For example, this year I’m committing to a 5 days per week exercise habit. This is a small but powerful piece of my life’s purpose.

Lastly, don’t overlook this or fail to take it seriously.

Without purpose, you’ll spend 2025 spinning your wheels. You’ll work hard, stay busy, and still feel stuck—right where you started.

That’s why finding your purpose is non-negotiable.

To find yours, journal to answer one of the following questions:

• What’s one big problem you want to solve in 2025?

• What’s one desire you’re so passionate about that you’ll do anything to achieve it?

• What’s one area of your life you’re so fed up with that you have the fuel to change it?

You don’t need all the answers. Just one clear enough to get you started.

With one clear purpose, you’ll have the direction you need to stop spinning in place and start moving forward.

2) A - Agency (Take Back Control of Your Life)

99% of people don't value agency.

That’s why they never achieve their goals or live a truly fulfilling life.

Agency is your ability to control your actions and decisions—to consciously shape your own life instead of letting life shape you.

The hard truth is: most people are stuck on autopilot.

They’re ruled by habits they didn’t choose and beliefs they’ve inherited from their past. It’s like their programming is running the show, robbing them of the control they need to create the life they actually crave.

Instead of taking responsibility and gaining agency they make excuses, blame society, and settle for a miserable existence.

I used to be one of them—addicted to overeating, reading books to avoid hard work, and blaming my circumstances for my lack of success.

But successful people? They do the opposite. They gain agency.

They don’t let their circumstances or emotions dictate their actions. They alone control their choices.

And that’s the key difference.

Agency will allow you to:

• Break bad habits that are holding you back

• Build healthy habits that push you closer to your goals

• Realign yourself to your deeper purpose when life throws you off course

Some good news: agency isn’t an all-or-nothing skill. It’s a spectrum.

A skill that is built overtime through good decision making.

It’s like a mental muscle—the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.

3 questions to help you gain more agency (answer them in your journal):

• What destructive habits are keeping you stuck?

• What healthy habits will move you closer to the life you want?

• What mindfulness practices can help you pause, reflect, and take control when things get hard?

Agency is the difference between drifting through life and deliberately designing it.

3) L - Lucidity (Create Clear Action Steps)

Lucidity is your ability to see the truth clearly—and focus on what actually works.

Without it, you’re stuck in a frustrating cycle: working hard but going nowhere.

This might sound obvious. But then how do you explain the people who’ve been writing online for years and still haven’t turned it into a lucrative career?

What of the solopreneurs working 80 hour weeks but making less money than they did the year before?

These people don’t lack direction or the agency to act. They lack an accurate model of reality that allows them to get what they want out of life.

You might be in the same boat (and not realize it)…

… If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s not because you’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s because you’re pouring your energy into the wrong things. You’re spinning your wheels on busywork that feels productive but doesn’t move the needle.

The truth is, most people mistake activity for progress. They work hard but lack the clarity to know whether their effort is actually moving them closer to their goals.

That’s where lucidity comes in.

It’s the skill that separates the people who stay stuck from the ones who achieve their goals.

Questions to guide you towards lucidity (journal about these before bed tonight):

• Who is ahead of you that is willing to give you weekly feedback?

• How can I systemize my process to improve the quality of my work?

• What's working for the people a few steps ahead of you? What are they doing daily?

Lucidity is the difference between busywork and work that transforms your life.

To Recap:

• Purpose gives you direction
• Agency gives you control
• Lucidity gives you clarity

Together, these three pillars create a framework for achieving your 2025 goals.

But before you go, there’s one last thing you should know:

You can be following the PAL framework and still not get what you want. Success comes from refining your process over time.

Ensure your purpose is specific. Check that your agency is practiced daily. Continue to sharpen your lucidity with feedback.

Success and transformation requires persistence. Not perfection.

And if after doing all this you still feel stuck, reply ‘stuck’ and we’ll get you sorted.

-Taylin John Simmonds

P.S.

If you want to earn a good living as a writer in 2025:

Growth Ghost launches this January—a proven system to help writers and freelancers turn their love of writing into a profitable ghostwriting business.

Learn how I:

•⁠ ⁠Land high-paying clients
•⁠ ⁠Built a steady stream of income with writing
•⁠ ⁠Get paid to learn from 7 figure founders

Early access starts soon. Join the waitlist HERE to secure your spot.