Bluefins Goal Setting
Clear direction. Measurable progress. Built through daily habits.
Goal setting in swimming isn’t just about times or medals.
It gives swimmers direction, structure and a way to measure progress over time.
At Bluefins, we use a simple three-level model.
It helps swimmers understand what they are working towards and how improvement happens.
The Three Levels of Goals
Outcome Goals
These are the results swimmers are aiming for.
Examples:
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Achieve a County Qualifying Time
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Win a medal
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Make a final
Outcome goals provide direction and motivation.
They matter, but they are not fully in the swimmer’s control. Other swimmers, race conditions and competition all play a part.
Performance Goals
These focus on measurable improvement in performance.
Examples:
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Reduce a 100m freestyle time by 1 second
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Improve stroke count or efficiency
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Hold consistent pacing across a race
Performance goals sit between results and training.
They show whether a swimmer is progressing and help break long-term aims into manageable steps.
Process Goals
This is where real progress is built.
Process goals focus on the daily actions swimmers control:
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Arriving on time and prepared
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Completing an effective land warm-up
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Holding technique and skills during sets
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Applying feedback from coaches
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Matching effort to the purpose of the set
These behaviours shape how a swimmer trains.
These are what drive improvement.
Why This Matters
Swimming progress is not linear.
There will be periods where times hold steady while skills, strength and efficiency are still improving.
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Outcome goals set the direction.
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Performance goals track progress.
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Process goals shape daily training.
When these three levels are aligned, swimmers gain a clearer understanding of what they are doing and take more ownership of their development.
A Simple Example
A swimmer aiming to qualify for Counties might set:
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Outcome Goal:
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Achieve a County Qualifying Time
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Performance Goal:
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Improve 100m freestyle by 1–2 seconds
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Process Goals:
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Maintain stroke length under fatigue
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Hold controlled pacing through the middle 50
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Stay consistent across the full session
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This links long-term aims to what happens each day in training.
Goal Setting Worksheet
To support this process, we’ve created a simple Bluefins Goal Setting Worksheet.
It helps swimmers:
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Set clear Outcome, Performance and Process goals
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Link long-term targets to daily training
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Keep goals visible and consistent
The worksheet is designed to be fun, practical and easy to use, whether swimmers are just starting out or working towards County and Regional QTs.
