For some time I have been thinking about writing an article for those people who practice swimming or who want to compete and improve themselves; and in this way I would like to share with them what I think are, from my experiences as a high performance swimmer and based on sports coaching, the most important factors to take into account so that they can achieve their best version and make that leap in quality in their swimming. 
I often notice, from a broad vision, but at the same time with coinciding visible results, that when they want to raise their level, whatever level they are at, they are disoriented, that they improve little over an extended period of time, that when they challenge themselves to do more they do not manage to raise their performance, and that in the end this can generate a certain frustration or they feel that the effort is not enough. For this very reason, understanding this situation and having experienced it in my life, making it clear that it can be different and in turn manifest itself in many ways in each person, I share a roadmap with you below.

This roadmap will be indicative, so that you can identify, reflect, analyse and verify the following questions:

• What goal do I want to achieve that is within my reach, measurable, concrete and surmountable.
• What am I doing today that is consistent with my goal?
• What am I not doing today that is not consistent with my goal?
• What do I know I have to work on, but do not have the courage to do so? 
• What don't I know how to do and, if so, whom can I ask for help?
• What must I continue to do that has given me the desired result so far?
• What must I stop doing that has so far given me a result, but is not what I want?

By asking ourselves these questions, as well as the information that follows, we will be able to work on a solid foundation and take in the relevant information to get closer to my best version. Without forgetting one detail, which is no less important: new information without action is the same as continuing to get the same results as before, so if I am reading this text and the information I can absorb from here is useful to me, the only way to get different results is to take action and have new experiences, which sooner or later will take me where I want to go.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS: This aspect, which is directly related to the technique of the style, is the one I must pay a lot of attention to. From the moment I enter the water until the moment I finish the session, my technique must be the best I know how to do all the time. It doesn't matter if the session is speed, recovery, aerobic or just the final loosening up at the end to go home.
to go home. I must send the information to my brain that I must always swim the best I know how to do technically so that the most efficient and correct movements are engraved in my motor behaviour. It is the details that make the difference.
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL ASPECTS: Here I could spend hours talking about the mental and emotional aspect, (which by the way I will later do an exclusive article on this subject), because for me what makes everything come true is our mind. But I will simply mention the values that, from my point of view, are the most valuable and important to achieve a goal.
1-Have CONFIDENCE in ourselves.
2- To be motivated every day.
3- To be congruent between what I say, what I do and what I feel.
4- Perseverance
5- Commitment
6- Self-esteem
7- Overcome my fears and turn them into my strengths.

These values depend 100% on oneself and how I relate to them in my inner world. This aspect is applicable to any area in our lives
our lives, when we need to achieve new results and live experiences that we have never lived before. Also as a coach, what we do from our space is to work on them, to strengthen, transform and make part of us these values, as many others that exist, and without the help of a professional, it is more difficult.
PHYSICAL ASPECTS: Here, everything related to nutrition, flexibility, mobility, strength, rest/recovery comes into play. These are the factors that are invisible to our own eyes when we want to improve in the water and we only look at the time on our chrono; but we don't think about how my preparation went or what I did/thought before arriving at the session. I don't mean this as an excuse, "I didn't do well because I worked 8 hours or because I didn't sleep at night". Of course, looking at it like that, this post wouldn't make any sense. My intention is for you to see that these are points of improvement.
points of improvement, they are indicators that position us from/to another place as I walk through my day to day life. What I eat, what I work on, my rest, whether I do physical preparation, mobility and flexibility exercises, whether I drink enough water, etc. It's what makes my body that day function one way and not another.
ORGANISATIONAL ASPECT: When I mention this, I am referring to the daily routine. How I organise my day to day, within all my priorities and how to organise it in such a way, to be able to do the days I have planned what I choose and thus take care of my physique, energy, my mind, and give the space I consider to each of those spaces. Behind great results is a strategically ordered agenda. Some might call it methodical, some might call it orderly, some might call it following a plan of action and some might call it simply following a routine... but this is where the process, week by week, living one day at a time, has its tuning that makes the goals become reality and at the end of the journey it all makes sense.

I hope I have made myself clear, I hope I have been clear. Today I shared very briefly, something that for me today has a lot of value... That is my lifestyle, beyond going towards a goal is the roadmap that guides my walk and I hope it works for you as it does for me... I hope you know that I am at your service and ready to answer any questions you have.

I send you a big hug and THANK YOU for reading me today.
With love, Belén Diaz.