Muscle Memory

I absolutely love the NBA playoffs. Growing up west of Chicago in the 90s, there was nothing better than watching the Bulls raise a banner nearly every year. Though I’m no longer a Bulls fan (see The Last Dance if you’re curious why), the NBA has stuck with me for decades. The other night, as I was watching another stellar Lakers/Warriors game, a very peculiar play unfolded before my eyes.

Let me summarize how I saw it. As the Warriors were settling into their half-court offense, Andrew Wiggins penetrated and kicked the ball out to Draymond Green. Draymond catches it and immediately swings the ball to his right. However, instead of the pass being received by a teammate, it landed directly in the hands of the Lakers’ head coach. On the surface, Draymond looked like an absolute fool. But did you see the look on his face? He was utterly confused. It wasn’t the look of someone who made a boneheaded play, but rather someone who knew exactly what they were doing and didn’t understand the outcome.

Upon further review, the rest of the truth came out. Nobody was there to receive the pass because said missing player, Gary Payton II, walked off the court mid-play. In a weird twist of events, Payton seemingly vomited in his mouth, motioned to the bench he needed to come out, then proceeded to quickly walk off the court where he would eventually vomit (presumably in a receptacle). Aside from this odd sequence of events, I was increasingly fascinated by Draymond’s pass. Though the play ultimately resulted in a turnover (#vomitgate), Draymond’s intuition and playmaking were astounding. Without even looking or thinking, he delivered a crisp pass to what was supposed to be a non-vomiting teammate. It’s evidence of how long he’s been playing the sport and honing his craft. It’s pure muscle memory at this point.

I was reminded of this play yesterday when I was meeting with a client. Like Draymond, this couple has developed astounding muscle memory. Doing this financial stuff wasn’t natural for them when we started, but after a year of repetition and commitment, they are significantly locked in. Their life hasn’t been perfect and they’ve encountered their fair share (if not more) of challenges and struggles. Through it, their muscle memory leads them back to the same place: intentionality and teamwork toward their mission and goals. They know what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how to do it. This is why developing healthy financial habits and skills is so important. When we lean into it enough times over a long enough period of time, we create muscle memory that allows us to naturally navigate the journey without having to spend much time and energy on it. It becomes second-nature and just a rhythm of our life.

I don’t know if Draymond and the Warriors will end the season as champions this year, but I can promise you this couple will. Once muscle memory sets in, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish when they set their mind to it. It wasn’t an easy journey getting here, but they earned it!