What I Learned from 30 Days of Swimming (Every Day)

Earlier today, I completed a self-initiated 30-day swimming challenge, and the journey of swimming every day has been unexpectedly insightful in teaching me about the power of commitment and goals.

Over the past 6-7 years, I’ve swam typically 1-2 times per week. A six-month pool closure in the pandemic taught me that I didn’t want to take the opportunity to swim for granted. Since that closure, I’ve also struggled to re-build strength and speed in the water. Whereas I could historically swim 1000 meters in 17 minutes with reasonable consistency, I’ve been lucky in the recent years to reach 18 minutes. In the same time window, swimming has become something I increasingly appreciate for my physical and mental health. Last year, I wrote a post-it with long-term goal to “swim every day” within the next 3-5 years. I’d love “permanent access” to a swimming pool, even if it’s not mine, I thought.

Fast forward to May 2024: I’d unlocked the possibility of swimming every day with an annual pass to the city pools. The investment would need some energy and commitment to make it worthwhile; I’d need to swim 100-140 times in a year to get my money’s worth. When June came, I saw a window of opportunity and no more excuses. I’d be home for the upcoming month-plus; I had a pass to use the city pools whenever I choose; I had a desire to get faster and enjoy the mind-massage that is swimming for me. I’d also spoken with my own coach and talked about swimming being an exercise that helps keep me grounded, which is an important state for me to develop for myself.

So I dove in, again and again! Every day from June 16 to July 15, I swam at least 1000 meters. Not only was it important to me to keep my word to myself, but I quickly started to see the benefits from other perspectives.

What did I learn?

• Commitment matters. Even when I made a vaguely-worded promise to myself, I knew there was a reason this was important to me. Particularly on day 21 when the closest pool was at full capacity and the radar showed a thunderstorm coming to the second option, I knew I needed to show up. And I did. And luckily for me, I had a lane to myself. There was no thunder or lightning, and who cares if it’s raining when I’m swimming laps?

• Set minimum, not maximum, intermediary targets. I agreed with myself that 1000 meters would “count” as a swim, and I stuck to it. Whereas my typical swims are 2000-3000 meters, I knew that even 7000 meters per week would be a great foundation, and it was. I found that a quick 20-minute swim was “enough” to gift my mind and body movement that grounded my energy.

• Since I swam at different times over the course of the month, I got to observe not just the how busy the pool is, but how my energy affects my swim. Whereas I typically swim in the mornings, my afternoon swims showed me that my energy was higher, and it was easier to swim faster.

• Toward the end, I ventured out of my comfort zone and joined a swimming group at a local lake. Meeting the trainer gave me exposure to some tips to improve my swimming. Particularly deconstructing my stroke (just the arms, just the legs, just the hips) has helped me see areas where I can better manage my energy and move more efficiently in the water. I gained social connections and knowledge by swimming with a group.

• Practice is a surefire path to improvement. In committing to 30 days, I didn’t have the forethought that my speed goal would be achieved, too. By day 11, I was already feeling more powerful than the last 3-4 years. I jumped in the pool and – without warming up – managed to swim 1000 meters in 16:56… 4 seconds faster than my goal. The next day? 16:26. I practically blew myself out of the water. As I like to say, practice makes space for more practice, and sometimes, it feels like perfection, too.

• Motive = Motivation. Yes, it got mentally tiring on some days to figure out when I would make it to the pool. I remembered why I wanted this. I persisted. I benefitted, tremendously.

• It’d be unfair of me not to mention the benefits that I felt in other areas of my life. In this same window of time, I experienced a significant confidence boost in building my business and found out that I’ll be moving into an apartment that I’ve dreamed of for years. I can’t help but thinking that the positive affects of swimming on my mental health have contributed to these major wins in my life.

I’m still figuring out whether I’ve created a ritual, a routine, or a habit, and what the differences are. I’m also considering where I’ll go from here. With some time out of town in the upcoming weeks, I know I’ll need to get more creative with my challenges. Yoga and running are both on my mind. For now, I’m starting with celebrating the rewards I’ve gained from challenging myself with goals outside my comfort zone and committing to the promises I make with myself. Celebrating wins is an important part of the coaching process, too.

After 2.5 months with my annual swim pass, I’ve swam 43 times, so I’m well on my way to seeing the return on my investment, too!

Let’s turn the lens on you:

• What goals have you been considering for a long time?

• What would need to change that you allow yourself to pursue those goals?

• And what do you stand to gain?

In joy, Stephen