The Two Lies of Momentum

I LOVE March Madness! The first two rounds, Thursday through Sunday, are pretty much my four favorite days of the whole year. No matter what a team is ranked, they always bring their best, and game after game I’m on the edge of my seat until the clock hits zero.

In men’s NCAA basketball, there are two 20-minute halves, and you really do have to watch until the clock hits zero because the whole game is a game of runs. One team gets hot and goes on a 10–0 run. Then the other team makes a big play, the crowd gets into it, and suddenly they go on a run of their own. Momentum can shift back and forth all game long.

It reminds me of something I heard on a podcast a few months ago about the two lies of momentum:

When you have it, you feel like you will never lose it.

When you don’t have it, you feel like you will never get it.

That really stuck with me because it applies to so much more than basketball. It highlights the need for emotional stability in all seasons of life. Some seasons feel amazing. Maybe it’s a new home, a new marriage, a new baby, a promotion, or a raise at work. Other seasons feel really hard. Maybe it’s the loss of a job, a divorce, the death of a loved one, or a health challenge.

So what do you do in both seasons?

You do the things your future self will thank you for.

You keep showing up.

You keep doing the small things (easy to do and easy not to do).

You keep taking care of your body and your mind: eating right, moving right, and speaking right.

You don’t get too high in the good seasons, and you don’t quit in the hard ones.

Because life is a game of runs. Momentum shifts. The best teams in the tournament don’t panic when they’re down and don’t get complacent when they’re up. They trust the game plan and keep doing what they practiced all season. We should do the same in life. Commit to the daily habits your future self will thank you for, no matter the season you’re in. Just1More day at a time.