New Year’s Resolutions are an amazing opportunity to re-focus on things that are important to you. Perhaps there is something you have been neglecting, whether it is your self-care, career, or relationship. It is tricky to balance everything perfectly in life, and often entirely unattainable. But, a New Year’s Resolution gives you the chance to re-balance in a new way. Often times, long-term relationships can be placed behind other priorities because you trust that you will always have each other. But, this cannot be a long lasting solution or excuse. To help keep the love alive in your relationship, here are 5 relationship goals examples for this year’s New Year’s Resolution.
1. Weekly Date Nights
Make a goal to have weekly date nights together. And before questioning if this is realistic, remember that date nights don’t always have to be extravagant or expensive. Choosing a new movie to watch, making some popcorn, and ordering a pizza can be a date night. Cooking a new easy meal together can be a date night. Playing a card game together can be a date night. Get creative to make date nights work for your relationship on a weekly basis. This ensures that you have dedicated weekly time just for each other.
If it doesn’t work out sometimes due to stressful circumstances, it is okay to have flexibility to avoid additional pressure. But, the expectation of weekly date nights will create a conversation around time spent together rather than allowing it to be ignored as time passes by.
2. Monthly Goal Check-Ins
In a relationship, it is important to support each others goals and growth. To make sure you are growing together rather than separately, have monthly goal check-ins. You can talk about how you have worked towards your goals this month and how you intend to continue in the following month.
It is also helpful to talk about how your goals will come together in the end. This makes it easier to support each other through the more difficult times, since you can see a bigger picture together.
3. Having the Tough Conversations
Sometimes, tough conversations are nice to ignore. Isn’t it blissful to just enjoy the present moment and figure out the rest later? Let the elephant in the room take a nap while you just focus on the good times? It can be, for a little while. But if there is a tough conversation brewing, it is bound to barge its way out the box under the bed eventually.
The longer you wait to have tough conversations, the more the present issues at hand can silently spiral out of control. Bite the bullet and set a dedicated time to have the tough conversations about your present and/or future. Take control of your relationship to make sure it aligns with what both of you desire and deserve.
4. Having the Fun Conversations
Have the fun conversations about your dreams, what will happen when you conquer your goals, when you have the money for that dream destination vacation. And to be grateful for what you have now. It is equally important to look forward to exciting dreams as it is to appreciate that some things you have now may have once been a dream.
With every year comes growth, sometimes in uncomfortable ways, but growth in itself is something worth incredible recognition. Make it a point to have both the “we did it” and the “we will do it” conversations.
5. Next Step Goals
Maybe you have had the tough conversations and the fun conversations, but where will they take you next? How will you get there? New Year’s Resolutions can come in all forms, but this one will be setting specific and tangible goals. Some relationship goals examples for next steps can be to move in together, capture ways to be more adventurous, make more time for yourselves, start a family, or reach a certain level of financial security.
Wherever you want to find yourselves at the end of the year, set specific goals to make sure you end up there. For tips on really locking this in, read 4 Important Steps to Crush Your New Year’s Resolution.
Wishing you and your partner a very Happy New Year, filled with love and dreams come true together!