The Weeknd is killing the game right now. His new album, Starboy, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 a couple weeks ago. Since then, he's been on a tear, touring, performing, and promoting the hell out of Starboy, which is bound to go platinum.
"Sidewalks" (featuring Kendrick Lamar) might be the dopest track on the album. The Weeknd and Kdot recently performed this song live in LA. It was a crazy dope performance! Check it out here...
Anyways, I love different parts of this song, but especially when The Weeknd sings, "Every time you see me pulling up in Aventadors/ Just know we been grinding on them sidewalks."
Of course, there's a danger in reifying the "rags to riches" story (particularly since it creates the myth of individual success and glosses structural constraints that limit people's options in life), but putting these things aside for a moment, what can we learn from a song like "Sidewalks"?
I think "Sidewalks" is a great reminder of the long and lonely grind. It reminds me of Tony Robbins who says, "You are rewarded in public for what you have intensely practiced and refined in private."
In other words, success is the end result of deep practice and dedication..."of grinding on them sidewalks." That won't surprise many people, but it's a good reminder, especially when you're DEEP in the trenches...
I don't usually have New Year's resolutions, but "Sidewalks" inspired me to think aloud about my professional goals for 2017. I have many, but here is one: I want to complete my new book, Gunshot, in the calendar year. At first glance, this feels daunting. I just finished my first book and there is a ton of work on the back-end as the book gets closer to being published. That's something I didn't know until going through the copyedits and page proofs of Blowin' Up.
But, this goal becomes more manageable with shorter ones along the way. In the short-term, I hope to write a chapter per month, which is about a single page per day. This is totally doable and way less daunting.
What about you? What are your goals for 2017? What are the smaller steps and short-term goals you can take to get there? I hope this little post inspires you to do great things in the coming year. You got this!!!
"Sidewalks" (featuring Kendrick Lamar) might be the dopest track on the album. The Weeknd and Kdot recently performed this song live in LA. It was a crazy dope performance! Check it out here...
Anyways, I love different parts of this song, but especially when The Weeknd sings, "Every time you see me pulling up in Aventadors/ Just know we been grinding on them sidewalks."
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| The Weeknd has been busy hustling in 2016! |
I think "Sidewalks" is a great reminder of the long and lonely grind. It reminds me of Tony Robbins who says, "You are rewarded in public for what you have intensely practiced and refined in private."
In other words, success is the end result of deep practice and dedication..."of grinding on them sidewalks." That won't surprise many people, but it's a good reminder, especially when you're DEEP in the trenches...
I don't usually have New Year's resolutions, but "Sidewalks" inspired me to think aloud about my professional goals for 2017. I have many, but here is one: I want to complete my new book, Gunshot, in the calendar year. At first glance, this feels daunting. I just finished my first book and there is a ton of work on the back-end as the book gets closer to being published. That's something I didn't know until going through the copyedits and page proofs of Blowin' Up.
But, this goal becomes more manageable with shorter ones along the way. In the short-term, I hope to write a chapter per month, which is about a single page per day. This is totally doable and way less daunting.
What about you? What are your goals for 2017? What are the smaller steps and short-term goals you can take to get there? I hope this little post inspires you to do great things in the coming year. You got this!!!
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