I was watching a clip of Nathan Cleary recently, where he pushed back on the idea of momentum in sport.
This isn’t a throwaway opinion.
Cleary is widely regarded as one of the most influential modern players in the NRL – a premiership-winning halfback known for composure, control, and a deep understanding of the game.
A deep thinker on performance.
His view was simple:
Momentum is not real.
“It’s just a made-up thing in your head. But it has such a significant impact on the game.”
That stuck with me.
Because at one level, he’s right.
There’s no invisible force taking over a game.
But it’s not the full picture.
And it’s worth teasing out.
What We Call Momentum
What people describe as momentum is a shift:
One side becomes sharp, decisive, and composed
The other becomes tight, reactive, and hesitant
The gap widens.
Quickly.
What you’re really seeing is:
A contrast in mindset – amplified through execution.
The Trigger Point (Where It Actually Begins)
Before flow.
Before friction.
Before execution.
There is always a moment.
A single event:
A mistake
A missed opportunity
A big play
Points
And that moment asks a question:
What do you believe right now?
When belief is questioned
“I’ve lost it”
“This isn’t working”
“Here we go…”
Doubt enters.
Attention splits.
Execution slows.
Everything starts to feel heavy.
When belief is affirmed
“I’m on”
“This is working”
“Stay here”
Focus sharpens.
Decisions become quicker.
Execution becomes cleaner.
The moment doesn’t create momentum.
The meaning you attach to it does.
And that meaning happens fast.
Often unconsciously.
We’ve all been there.
Flow vs Friction
When belief is affirmed, performance starts to feel effortless.
This aligns with what’s often referred to as flow state:
Intuition
Automatic execution
Natural timing
It’s not forced.
It’s rhythm.
When belief is questioned, the opposite happens:
Overthinking replaces instinct
Movements become delayed
Execution becomes mechanical
Everything feels clunky.
One side is operating in rhythm.
The other is operating in resistance.
Where Cleary Is Right
Momentum isn’t a force.
It doesn’t exist outside the players.
What exists is:
State
Attention
Decision quality
Which leads to a better framing:
Momentum is what it looks like when one side finds flow…
and the other falls into friction.
The Real Lever: Recovery Speed
This connects directly to something I’ve written about before:
Elite Performers Recover Faster
Elite performers aren’t perfect.
They just return to flow faster.
After an error
After pressure
After disruption
They don’t stay in the clunky state for long.
Breaking the Negative Loop
The downward spiral is predictable:
Mistake
Meaning (doubt)
Attention drifts
Execution drops
More mistakes
You don’t fix this with effort.
You fix it with reset.
Breathing
Clear cues
Simple tasks
“Next job” focus
The goal isn’t to feel better.
It’s to regain control.
Protecting the Positive Loop
Flow is powerful – but fragile.
When people feel it, they often:
Chase it
Over-celebrate
Change behaviour
That breaks it.
Elite performers do the opposite:
Stay neutral
Stick to process
Keep the rhythm
Flow isn’t created by emotion.
It’s sustained by structure.
The Business Translation
In business, this shows up in behaviour:
Negative trigger:
Lost deal → hesitation
Failed event → avoidance
Positive trigger:
Win a listing → conversations sharpen
Close a deal → confidence to call
Same principle.
Different arena.
High Performance Culture
This is where leadership matters.
Because most teams don’t control the meaning of moments.
They react to them.
High performance culture does the opposite:
Defines the response
Installs reset systems
Reinforces process under pressure
The moment happens.
The response is trained.
Final Thought
Cleary is right.
Momentum isn’t real in the way people think.
But this is:
Every moment is a trigger.
Of belief.
And belief drives:
Thinking
Execution
Results
So the real edge is simple:
Control the meaning of the moment.
Return to rhythm.
Execute.
That’s the high performance mindset.
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Discover more from Richie Lewis | REINZ Manager of the Year
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