How to Elevate Your Swimming in 2023: Fine-Tune a Process
Like most of us, I’m sure you’re awash with last-minute 2022 activities.
So, unlike this crazy, holiday season, I am going to make this post short and sweet.
Getting better in the water is not as complicated as many of us make it sound.
In fact, it can be broken down into four basic parts:
- Pick a goal (I want to swim faster)
- Pick a process (I am going to swim faster by improving my breakouts)
- Execute that process (I did four dolphin kicks off of every wall today at practice)
- Evaluate that process (I did my dolphin kicks off the wall every time, but I also breathed on the first stroke. I could work on taking a strong first stroke without a breathing after my dolphin kicks)
Seems simple, right?
But we both know that simple is far from easy, especially in the sport of swimming.
In fact, swimmers hit road bumps at almost every step by:
- Picking a goal that is too vague
- Setting yourself up for failure by picking a goal that is unrealistic
- Picking a process that is unsustainable
- Performing the process inconsistently
- Not evaluating the process, missing on valuable opportunities to improve
Although your process, on the outside, can be seen as relatively uncomplicated, it is made up of a lot of moving parts that often need your attention and fine-tuning.
With that, ultimately YOU are the one who has to be able to determine what needs that attention and fine-tuning.
Because once you get a grip on how to build a process that works for you,
Some pretty cool things will start to happen.
Whatever it is you want to improve,
I want to improve my mental fortitude
I want to be more consistent with my dryland
I want to improve my nutritional habits
There is a process for it.
As we say our sweet goodbyes to 2022, put a process together for the things you want to improve next year.
And relentlessly fine-tune it.
See you in the water.