Make Your Relationship a Priority with These Four Tips

Life is SO busy these days. It seems like we have something to do at every turn. We get up early, we go to bed late. We are caffeine-fueled zombies of our former selves. With the demands of work and general living alone, how can you find time for your relationship as well? When two people are meant to be together, their relationships are relatively self-sustaining, sort of like a beta fish. But even beta fish need you to change the water and freshen the plants every so often.

Keeping your relationship in check – as in the maintenance of love – is easier than you might think. A few conversations planned carefully throughout the days, weeks, months, and years that go by can be the difference between 20-blissful years and waking up after 20-years thinking you’ve wasted a huge chunk of your life. Make your relationship a priority using these four simple steps for better communication and connection with your partner.

1. Talk About Your Day, Every Day

A lot can happen in a day. Every day should have a small window of time where the two of you sit and talk about what has happened that day, how you are feeling, and anything you have to look forward to. Within the next week. During this conversation, take note to small changes in the way your partner is talking to you. Do they seem excited? Are they sadder than usual? Picking up on these subtle hints will allow you to connect better with your partner. Don’t worry about this taking up too much of your busy day, either. Every couple can carve out 30 to 60 minutes a date for this quality time to keep their relationship on track.

2. Have a Weekly Date Night, Unplugged

Many couples are together every night, but they are otherwise connected to television shows, work at home, family life, or their social media accounts. In order for any relationship to survive, a couple needs to have quality time. In terms of love, the quality of the time you spend together is far more important than the amount of time you spend together. Make it a priority to shut down the phones and computers and turn off the television on your date night. Focus on doing things together, as a couple.

An interesting conversation I end up having when I meet someone new is the fact that I don’t own a television. I haven’t owned a television in almost a decade. I’m not saying that it isn’t nice to have one, but I don’t see it as a necessity. When I watch television, its usually on my computer. When people come to visit me, they are there to see me, not to watch television. Frankly, the only time I even miss having a television is at Christmas time when ABC Family does the 25-days of Christmas special. However, there is an app for that these days as well. In lieu of a television, I have plenty of board games and toys. You would be amazed at how much fun it is to spend a few hours drinking wine and putting together a Kinect rollercoaster verses mindlessly watching television.

3. Clean Up Your Relationship Each Month

You know how you like to deep clean your house at least once a month? Think about doing that with your relationship as well. Take one whole day each month to do things together, as a couple. Talk out any lingering problems that you might have. Take some time to learn a new hobby or craft together. Check in with each other to see how you both are feeling about the current state and potential future of your relationship. And clear the air of anything that is cluttering your joy together.

4. Set Goals and Plans Each Year

Planning for the future is a two-person job. At the start of each year together (your relationship fiscal year), spend a few hours mapping out your goals and plans for the next year. Do you want to take a romantic vacation? Do you want to save a certain amount of money? Are you considering making a large purchase like a new car or a home? What kinds of things do you want to accomplish in the upcoming year? When you set these goals together you are able to ensure that both people are working towards the same goals. It ensures that both of you are proactively planning for your future together instead of simply going through the motions of life. Most importantly, it gives you a roadmap for the upcoming year of what to expect and where you will be a year from now.