If you spent a lot of time in a pool as a kid, you might have done flips or somersaults while playing around. You might have been taught to twist yourself or use your arms to help you do a flip turn at the wall, or picked that up on your own. But those extra movements—the twisting, waggling, and waving—make you wider in the water and, therefore, slower.

Spring Nationals is over and many swimmers are turning their attention to long-course season. One way to make a successful transition, whether you want to compete in Summer Nationals or other meets or just keep swimming, is to remember a story that management expert and bestselling author Stephen Covey liked to share about a guest speaker teaching a class about priorities.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before vowing to become an awesome SDKer.