Going Viral the Old Fashioned Way
4 ways to get what you want
Gangnam Style. These two words would break language and cultural barriers in the latter half of 2012 and pave the way for contemporary Korean groups like BTS and Blackpink.
But how did a plump unknown Asian emerge from obscurity and suddenly become the first person to record 2 billion YouTube views? For those who aren’t familiar with his story, it could appear he was just a lucky one hit overnight success.
Jae Sang Park, more commonly known by his stage name PSY, exploded onto the international music scene in the summer of 2012. When asked how he created his global hit, he uttered “it just happened” leaving the media wondering if this was humility or hubris.
To understand his worldwide success, we have to take a step back.
A college dropout, he poured his time and energy into music. He debuted with his first album in 2001, more than a decade before the “horsey” dance rocked social media.
Because of his controversial lyrics, he was fined by the conservative South Korean government for “inappropriate content.” His subsequent albums would be mired in controversy as well. Credit that to his bizarre dance moves and blunt lyrics. Even with fines piling up, age restrictions, and heavy backlash, PSY kept surging forward serving up records like flapjacks.
Throughout the decade of criticism, he found his fans. He even overcame career interruptions when he served two mandatory national military stints.
Nothing deterred him, nothing slowed him down.
While he won’t win “sexiest man alive” or get called up to join J. Lo’s dance crew, one thing is certain: even if people didn’t understand the words, they understood the music, his passion, and enthusiasm in his work.
Shooting to stardom does require luck. But the truth about luck is:
“it’s the dividend of sweat” — Ray Kroc
Even after the huge success of Gangnam Style, PSY wasn’t bogged down by the pressure. He rode the wave. His follow up song, Gentleman, posted 38 million Youtube views in a day. Not too shabby.
It may have sounded like PSY downplayed the effort it took to create Gangnam Style, but for him, it was a decade in the making.
Do What You Don’t Want To Do To Get To Where You Want To Be
Ever get the stress tingles on the back of your neck because you know you have to do something? For example, we tell ourselves that we have to write. We want to write. But I think we can unanimously vote that doing something with that blank page is the hardest part.
And the more you resist, the more it persists. The longer you put it off, the harder it is to get started.
Life comes down to a series of tradeoffs. Any choice we make incurs an opportunity cost. We don’t get to make writing our dream career without putting our time in at the bottom, an enormous amount of time.
Mark Manson nailed it when he asked:
“what kind of shit sandwich can you stomach?”
So in essence the question isn’t what you have to do, it’s about what you’re willing to endure.
Take Action Every Single Day Toward Your Goals
Working 24/7 is unrealistic. We set ourselves up for failure with such lofty affirmations.
I’m talking about on days off, assign 5–10 minutes toward your craft. One idea, one headline, one clear sentence, maybe even one paragraph.
You’re already going to be thinking about writing, why not do something marginally uncomfortable and feel like a winner for the rest of the day?
Whether you like his writing or not, it’s undeniable that Stephen King, who routinely writes 12 pages per day, is one of the most prolific writers of our time.
Here’s a sample of the work ethic he’s developed:
“I used to tell interviewers that I wrote every day except for Christmas, the Fourth of July, and my birthday. That was a lie. The truth is that when I’m writing, I write every day, workaholic dweeb or not. That includes Christmas, the Fourth, and my birthday. For me, not working is the real work.”
We all know taking a significant amount of time off from any endeavor makes it exponentially harder to get back in the groove.
So it’s no surprise, you lose gains much faster than you build them.
Bounce Back From Rejection
Struggling isn’t sexy so we tend to gloss over it. What turns us on is the polished product.
I recently finished watching The Last Dance, a documentary that chronicled the 1997–1998 Chicago Bulls. When I used to watch MJ live, I wasn’t a fan. I thought he was a ball hog. It wasn’t until later that I truly appreciated his greatness.
Cut from his high school Varsity team, a broken foot his second year in the NBA, losing in the playoffs, snarky remarks from opponents. He used these opportunities as fuel to come back stronger, more mentally tough, and with a deeper resolve to win the next time.
Jordan understood that delay was not denial. He used setbacks like a pullback toy car catapulting him to another level of awesome.
Must Grow Your Praise Muscle
I grew up in a household where criticism was the main currency. So later in life, I deflected praise even though I secretly craved it.
This did wonders for my self-esteem. I would do anything to divert attention away from me. The last thing I wanted was to glow like a tomato when put on the spot.
Over time I began to build a “me against the world” attitude. To make matters worse, I set unreasonable expectations on others.
It’s essential for writers to praise their own progress. Whether you’re used to receiving a lot of praise or none at all, recognition is rare. You’ve got to be able to keep going when there’s no sound at all.
Knowing why you’re doing it is a great starting place.
Put It Altogether
Routinely producing high-level content is my ultimate driver. A few daily actions to get there are:
- Do things that move you closer to your goal, even if you don’t feel like it
- Practice daily. 5–10 minutes of work every day will amount to 30–60 extra hours each year
- Get back up. Nothing can hold you down unless you allow it
- Pat yourself on the back for the small wins
Going viral might not be your goal. But when you’re so locked into developing your craft, be prepared for fortunate side effects to just happen.