When we leave our marriages on autopilot, we may crash the whole marriage. We have to be intentional about improving our relationship with our spouses. Let’s consider these five steps to help improve our relationship with our spouses.
- See the Need to Improve your Relationship
When you do not realise the need for improvement, you may not seek it. This may require some introspection. Examine the current state of your relationship with your spouse and see whether you are really at the level you want it to be. Do you resent your spouse’s job now? Are you angry about small issues like “so much salt or sugar in your food”? Money issues are big issues now and you are always angry about the way your spouse handles money in your relationship? These and others may be small things that can become great if not addressed and resolved early in your marriage.
- Improve your Knowledge
Constant learning always changes our mindset and improves expected outcomes. You may have to educate yourself and know more about yourself and how to handle the challenges you are going through. Read about the challenges you are facing in your relationship. Seek help if needed or talk to a licensed marriage counsellor or a marriage coach.
- Join like-minded Groups
Sometimes joining like-minded groups with strict privacy rules and sharing ideas can help you manage and even resolve the challenges you are facing in your relationship. You can decide to join a book club to read and discuss the contents of the book, which may enhance your marriage.
- Decide to Change
Sometimes we know everything about how to make our relationship work but fail to act on them. Knowing and acting are two different things. If we have all the knowledge, go for all the counselling and coaching and read and discuss all the books but fail to act, it would not benefit our marriage. Decide to act on the things you know.
- Be Committed
Commitment wanes after some years if we are not conscious of it. Many people are in relationships and they have removed their best foot and left the weak foot in that marriage. We have to be committed to that marriage and make sure we are doing our best for the success of the marriage. We are the success or the failure of the relationship and we need some form of commitment to succeed.