Goal setting is an excellent skill that can be used by every single person in almost every life situation. Regardless of what you want to accomplish, a great way to achieve it is to look at what it’s going to take you from the point where you are now to the point where you want to be. The way I like to do this is to set one major goal and work my way backwards to where I am now with smaller benchmark goals that I can adjust as I progress faster or slower than I had planned. You can also make sub goals to get to each benchmark goal. For example If my goal was to break 4mins for 400 freestyle I know my sub goals in training on 100m swims need to be under 1min and 50m swims under 30seconds I could also have small focus points in-between like getting my underwater kicking faster, my flexibility better, not moving my head a particular way etc.
I strongly suggest rather than just thinking them out in your head, write your goals down and place the page somewhere you can see it every day so that it’s relevant. That way you will be constantly reminding yourself what it’s going to take to get to where it is you want to be. All the best!