“I can’t stick to my resolutions…” If this sounds familiar, this article is for you. In swimming as in daily life, we regularly need to make changes: adopt a new technical movement, modify your training rhythm, adjust a strategy. The hardest part is often not starting, but transforming that effort into a lasting habit.
Why do you want this change?
Ask yourself what this change will actually bring you, in the short or long term.
Giving meaning to an action strengthens motivation and makes it easier to take action: it’s always simpler to get to training, even in difficult conditions, when you know precisely why you’re doing it. This question of “why” acts as an engine that keeps you committed when motivation fluctuates.
What change do you want to implement, precisely?
A vague change is hard to maintain. Rather than thinking “I want to swim more,” ask yourself how many sessions per week, what duration, at what time. Rather than “I want to improve,” identify what you want to improve: technique, endurance, stress management, consistency, recovery.
💡 Remember
- Being specific makes the change measurable and realistic.
- This facilitates concrete implementation, an essential step for maintaining it over time.
Accepting Change as a Process
Not all changes are negative. Whether chosen or imposed, they can become opportunities for progress if they are understood and supported.
There are different stages when facing change, which everyone goes through at their own pace: knowing them helps you better accept phases of doubt or resistance, without questioning the entire approach.
The psychological drivers of perseverance and commitment in a sports project are analyzed in this reference work from INSEP.
Concrete example: planning
Stated this way, the goal remains vague and easy to postpone. By making it specific: “Monday and Thursday, 15 minutes after training, in my swim bag,” it becomes concrete, measurable, and above all achievable even during busy weeks. This level of precision often makes all the difference between a resolution that fizzles out and a habit that takes hold.
Building on Small Repeated Successes
A lasting habit isn’t built in a day. It’s reinforced session after session, through small regular wins rather than intense one-time efforts. Celebrating having stuck with it for a week, then a month, maintains motivation and gradually anchors the change in your daily routine, until it no longer requires any particular effort of willpower.
Maintaining a change requires clarity, method, and patience. By asking yourself why, what, and how, you give yourself the best chance of transforming an intention into a lasting habit.