Its hard to keep a healthy relationship going these days, almost like keeping a full time job. You have to put in the work to be a happy couple. Some things are inevitable but if you follow a few simple things then your relationship will do better than half of the couples out there.
Relationships now are being taken for granted; what happened to dating with the same ultimate goal? Marriage, children, happiness, and building a great life together. Lets face it; the way things are currently, people are getting into relationships for their own selfish reasons. I still resonate with the 90’s era, the slow jams that walk you through a perfect and imperfect love story (best R&B era by the way). No matter the story those R&B jams made it sound so beautiful. Back then love seemed so simple, there was no problem or issue that love could not fix, and nothing that would stop those who loved each other from being together. Too much pride maybe? Almost like pride didn’t even exist; Wanye had no problem getting on “bended knee” , Keith Sweat had no problem begging, and Brian McKnight cried that “one last cry” and counted the hours since he seen his love. I’m sorry but that is the LOVE I want. Love and relationships aren’t that simple though, you have to fight for that love, never giving up on it, and putting in work for that happiness. But a happy relationship takes two, sometime we forget that. But before I get carried away talking about love (we can save that for a different post) lets get into the 6 tips…..
Become Best Friends; one of the mistakes we tend to make in our relationships is that we skip the most important part of being friends first. This is vital to a successful relationship. You have to trust your love with any and every thing.
Communication goes hand and hand with being best friends. Best friends communicate the best! Being able to talk to your mate about any and everything is such a beautiful thing. I started to notice that he would be the first person I would call on for everything; when I had good or bad news, when something great happened, when I was upset, or even just to get his opinion on an important decision that had to be made.
Do corny things together; sending sweet messages throughout the day, planning fun romantic things to do together. I love to smile and laugh and I love when someone actually puts some thought and effort into doing something to make me smile. It can be the smallest things (flowers, cooked dinner, movie night, etc).
Schedule date nights to stay consistent with spending that quality time together. Lets face it, chivalry is not dead and women still want to feel like we are special and that everyday you are still trying to win that first date; that goes for the man as well. Making time for that date night and going out of the way to ensure that you both are happy will help the relationship succeed.
Plan at least one getaway a year. I love getaways, just going away to somewhere romantic to enjoy each other’s company. Budget and ave up for at least one a year, whether it being a short weekend getaway or a longer one. Getting away from home and people to have alone time will help rekindle or keep things healthy between you two.
Sit down and discuss finances, this is vital! Many relationships/marriages end because of financial strains. It is important that you and your spouse are on the same page when i comes to this. Discussing your financial goals, coming up with an achievable budget, and sticking to it will assist in avoiding any financial issues down the road. There will be those rough financial patches in the road but being prepared will minimize the blow.
Keep in mind that these aren’t the only things to follow for a healthy relationship. You have to put in that work and pretend you’re living out that 90’s R&B song!
