"I want to be in a "healthy" relationship before I am 40 so I can have at least 1 child." - Cara, Single Professional read more
QUOTE :::
Sympathy constitutes friendship; but in love there is a sort of antipathy, or opposing passion. Each strives to be the other, and both together make up one whole.
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"Plant and your spouse plants with you; weed and you weed alone." - Jean Jacques Rousseau
If relationships were easy, an entire genre of daytime television wouldn't exist. Relationships take work. Hard work. If you pick up a relationship improvement book in the bookstore it will ask you to measure the amount of time you spend with your partner, the types of things you do to reinforce your bond and the things that might irritate or distance your loved one. The goal of these questions is to allow you to identify problems before they become irreparable, and to capitalize on the strengths inherent in your love.
Ironically, the success of any relationship starts from within. What you think and believe is manifested in what you say and do. Planning for more balance using the Getting Balanced or Life MBA programs starts with introspection. Begin with questions like the following:
1) Could you name a major life goal of your partner's in each of the following life Cornerstones?
a) Financial
b) Career
c) Giving
d) Relationships
e) Personal
2) Last weekend, what did you and your partner do together, without family or friends?
a) Quiet conversation
b) Watched television
c) Went to a movie
d) Went for a walk or hike
e) Had dinner with candles
f) Housework
3) What has changed most since you met your partner?
a) Intimacy
b) Conversation
c) Vacations
d) The amount of 'stuff' you own
4) What would you and your partner do with a free Wednesday afternoon you planned to spend together?
a) Ride bikes
b) Relax outside
c) Housework
d) Read
e) Go to the gym
5) How many hours do you spend alone with your partner each week (not sleeping)?
a) Less than 5
b) 5 to 10
c) 10 to 15
d) More than 15
If you're in a new relationship, your goal might be to keep the flame burning as hot as it is right now. If you've been hitched for some time, perhaps you're just looking to get a flicker of the old sizzle back. And if you're between relationships, you might be focused on preparing yourself for that special someone. In all cases, you must take advantage of all opportunities in your life to achieve small 'wins' for relationship balance with your partner. Rather than wait for chances to be balanced to drop into your lap, make your own chances.
Your next step is to begin to plan how to achieve more relationship balance with your partner. Don't just go and plan for a single candlelight dinner. Instead, take a step back and think about a framework for a plan that will keep you excited, interested and focused for a long time. Click here to start your plan for Relationships-Partner.
