DISCIPLINE

 

The word discipline throughout history has had many meanings to every individual. The meaning that we will be referring to for our swimming is as follows; “ The conscious or unconscious motivation that directs an individual’s actions towards maintaining acceptable behavior during all aspects of their training.”

This behavior takes place during workouts, competitions, and life outside the pool.  A disciplined swimmer has extraordinary self-control, they are focused on achieving their goals, and believe they are responsible for what they can accomplish.

Discipline in swimming is your SUPERPOWER and it all starts with having goals, writing them down and coming up with a plan or road map of how to get there. Otherwise it’s just talk and a lot of noise.  

Discipline is not a mysterious art, it’s not genetic it knows no specific gender, it’s just out there freely available to whoever chooses to wield it in their swimming and life.  It’s not easy, it’s hard especially on those days that you may be down a little.

Discipline is a learned skilled and the more you exercise it, work on it, and live it, the better equipped you will become in applying it to all those little things in swimming.

The little things in swimming are black and white, such as doing your UNDERWATER KICKS OFF EVERY WALL and it’s a yes or no answer as to will and how you do them.  There is no middle ground, no wiggle room, no excuses which are only a reason to give you an out for failing.  This goes with all the “little things” in swimming that require a lot of discipline.

Until you come to the point in your swimming where discipline becomes a part of your armor, you will continue to fight those daily battles that you bring on with procrastination and excuses.  Face your hurdles head on as you continue to become that swimmer that you want to be.