Making a new year’s resolution may seem a little silly. After all, research has shown that only about one-third of goal-setters keep their self-made promises past January. (Not very inspirational, to say the least.) But taking on a resolution as a couple? Well, having someone to keep you accountable and help you work toward a common goal can make you more successful at anything, from trying to break a bad habit to changing your lifestyle for the better.
So, for 2019, don’t try to go it alone. Make this year your best yet, together, by choosing a resolution-for-two. Here are five ideas to get you started.
- Take a break – from your technical devices
If there’s one thing that often gets in the way of romance, it’s someone engrossed in his or her smartphone. From scrolling social media to endlessly playing online games, the apps and websites on our phones and tablets often take up way too much of our time. Time that, theoretically, we could turn into quality moments with our significant others. Challenge each other to take your screen time down a notch (the iPhone will actually track your daily average) and see if you can beat each other’s “personal best” or try to stick to a set amount of time each day. You’ll soon find that you have minutes in the day for more important things, like each other. - Begin a passion project
While you may each have your own hobbies and passions—which is important for maintaining your respective senses of self—see if you can come together on a joint endeavor that will bring you closer together. Perhaps you’ve talked about learning how to swing dance or play the guitar, so why not sign up for lessons? Maybe you’re really interested in helping underserved communities, so maybe you could volunteer to be big brothers or big sisters to kids in need. Or perhaps this is the year you finally plant that vegetable garden in the backyard. Whatever it is, find something you both really care about and make a plan to do it. - Argue smarter
All couples fight. It’s just part of living with another human and trying to have a life together. You’re going to disagree now and then. Make this the year, however, that you resolve to be more constructive with your arguments. Talk about your fighting styles when you’re not in the heat of the moment and discuss which arguments keep coming up again and again. Think critically about what you could each do better when you’re in the heat of the moment and commit to breaking patterns that just aren’t working for either of you. If you’re in it for the long haul, learning to fight fair, or just better, will be worth it. - Agree to have more fun
In the midst of real life, it’s easy to get bogged down by long work hours, demands from your kids or extended family, and feeling like you’re never having as much fun as all of your friends in your Instagram feed. So, make 2019 the year of more fun: Hire a baby sitter once a month so you can have a real date night. Commit to watching comedy specials on Netflix instead of your usual gripping dramas. Book that family cruise you’ve been talking about. Whatever your idea of fun is, make a plan to make time for it. - Check something off your bucket list
Think about some of the things you really, really want to do in this lifetime and share a list with each other. If you have some overlap, great—choose something to accomplish this year, together. If not, encourage each other to pick one realistic item on the list and work as a team to help each other accomplish your respective dreams. If you don’t start on that list now, when will you? Make the most of your life before it’s too late.
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