Be honest with yourself about your effort and practice habits. Look honestly at the practices and lifestyle choices that can affect your swim. Stop blaming others or equipment for a bad day or practice. Evaluate and change what can be changed, namely how you react to things. Positive reactions net positive results.
Have a plan and share it with your teammates and coaches. Without a plan or goals you have no chance of achievement. Even if your goals are not met as quickly as you would like or if your plans have to change, you can still make the most of every situation and opportunity.
Put first things first. We can do anything in life, we can't do everything! Putting first priorities first allows you time to achieve those things that are important to you. Share your priorities with your coaches so your goals and their expectations match.
If each member of the team succeeds, then we all succeed. If you boost your teammate up, you lift yourself to new heights at the same time. Especially in swimming, someone doesn't have to lose for us to win. Everyone can achieve new time standards at the meet. Multiple people can swim southeastern and sectional qualifying times at a meet. Two high-point awards are common.
We all have a different perspective, so if we listen and see things from the other perspective, we can then share our own. Greater understanding of our own needs are then achieved and we are better able to help each other.
Celebrate differences, Work as a team, Be open minded, Find new and better ways. There are many examples of synergy at work if life. A band takes individual instruments and puts it together to create something better than each could create alone. In swimming, more best times are posted on relays because everyone swims better with a team giving support.
Eat well, Sleep well, Take care of yourself. Training breaks us down, so recovery can build us back stronger. Without recovery, you will never achieve your maximum potential.