The new year is always full of hope and promise for even better things to come. Why not start it off by enhancing your marriage? There is no time like the present to make this happen. Here are a few tips to get you started so you won’t end up in my law office for a divorce:
1- Communicate. Your spouse needs to understand you as much as you need to understand your spouse. Have conversations with your mate and allow yourself to be vulnerable. Lack of conversation leads to emotional disconnect, which leads to separation. Meaningful conversation breeds emotional connection.
2- Schedule together time. How can you grow as a couple if you are rarely together as a couple? Spending time together as a couple, without your children around, is essential. You must be intentional about creating this time alone as a couple. Being successful at anything requires sacrifice and your children will survive beautifully with a little less parenting time! Combine tips 1 and 2 by scheduling time to converse with your spouse each week to discuss needs, wants, desires, etc. I call it weekly “Heart and Mind Time.” This time together is critical to understanding your spouses feelings and needs each week. Growing together means sharing feelings with your spouse regularly. Make this conversation time a weekly habit!
3- Keep Yourself Healthy. Each of you are responsible for your own physical and emotional health and happiness. Expecting your spouse to be responsible for this is unreasonable and creates disappointment. The happier you are as an individual; the more you can contribute to a happy, healthy marriage.
Overall; your marriage will be what you make it. If you want a great marriage that lasts a lifetime; there is nothing preventing you from accomplishing this, but it takes both parties to intentionally contribute to this common goal. Make today the day you begin truly creating the marriage that you so desperately desire! You CAN do it, you simply have to be intentional and make the effort!