I have a confession to make. I am not a basketball fan. Growing up, I was probably the least likely person to become one. Yet like many others this year, I have found myself firmly on the New York Knicks bandwagon. And this week they gave us all a lesson that extends far beyond basketball.
At one stage in the game, the Knicks were 29 points down. They looked dead and buried. The following day I heard plenty of people admit they had switched it off at halftime because the result looked inevitable. The Knicks could not score. The Spurs could not miss. Momentum had completely swung one way. Then something changed.
How Momentum in Fitness and Life Actually Works
The Knicks started making shots. Nothing spectacular at first. Just one basket, then another, then another. At the same time, the Spurs started missing shots they had been making all game. Slowly the gap began to close. Confidence grew on one side and disappeared on the other. The crowd sensed it. The players sensed it. Momentum had shifted.
What fascinated me was not the comeback itself. It was the power of momentum, both positive and negative. Everyone talks about what the Knicks did right, but very few people talk about what happened to the Spurs. When you are 29 points ahead, the game should be over. But as the Knicks started making shots, the Spurs started feeling the pressure. Shots that had been falling all night suddenly were not. Decision-making became rushed. Confidence disappeared.
The exact same momentum that had been working in their favour suddenly began working against them. This matters because momentum does not care whether you are winning or losing. It simply amplifies the direction you are already moving in. Positive momentum can make ordinary people look extraordinary. Negative momentum can make talented people look ordinary. The same thing happens in everyday life.
Two People, Two Very Different Days
Consider two people: Jane and Sarah. Jane gets out of bed as soon as her alarm goes off. That one small action creates positive momentum in fitness and in everything else that follows. She eats a solid breakfast, gets some movement in, and arrives at work feeling alert. Because she is feeling good, her presentation goes well. Because she is organised, she gets through her workload efficiently. She leaves on time, heads home satisfied, and relaxes knowing she won the day.
Now look at Sarah. The alarm goes off. Snooze. Then snooze again. Five times later she is rushing out the door without breakfast, arriving just before start time. The day feels chaotic. She is constantly reacting instead of planning. By lunchtime she is starving and grabs whatever is quick. She leaves late, exhausted. Cooking feels like too much effort so takeaway becomes the easy option. She scrolls social media to unwind, stays up later than intended, and the next morning the cycle begins again.
Multiply Jane and Sarah over a week, then a month, then a year. The difference is not intelligence, talent, or luck. It is momentum in fitness and in daily habits, compounding quietly in one direction or the other.
One Small Action Changes the Direction
Most people wait for motivation before they act. The reality is that momentum usually comes first. One good decision makes the next good decision easier. One poor decision makes the next poor decision easier. According to research on habit formation, small actions stacked consistently are far more powerful than occasional large efforts. Just like the Knicks, sometimes all it takes is one basket to change the direction of the game.
At our gym in Long Island City, this is something we talk about with members regularly. The people who make the most progress are rarely the ones who overhaul everything at once. They are the ones who find one small action, repeat it consistently, and let that momentum build over time. Strength training, sleep, nutrition, showing up — it all starts with a single decision made and kept.
This Week’s Starting Point
Identify one small change you can make that will create positive momentum in your life this week. Not ten changes. Not a complete overhaul. Just one. Maybe it is getting out of bed when the alarm first rings. Maybe it is a 20-minute walk. Maybe it is preparing tomorrow’s to-do list before leaving work, or putting your phone away an hour before bed. Choose one small action and commit to it. You might be surprised where that momentum takes you.
If training is the area you want to build momentum in, we offer personal training and small group fitness in Long Island City designed to help you start and keep going. Book a free intro session at Trinity Gym NYC and let’s find your first basket.
Have a great weekend.
Seamus Keane, NASM CPT
Co-founder, The Trinity NYC
