Dave Willis
Most of my New Year’s resolutions fail. I’ll want to lose a few pounds, but I won’t want to give up my daily ice cream habit. I’ve learned the hard way that wanting something isn’t enough to bring lasting change. My actions, and specifically, my habits, have to change.
If you want 2015 to be your best year of marriage yet (and I hope you do), then it will require changing some habits. Improving your marriage has the potential to improve every other aspect of your life as a result (and you don’t even have to give up eating ice cream)!
7 marriage improvement goals for 2015:
Commit to these! When we’re committed to something, we make a way, when we aren’t, we make an excuse.
(In no particular order.)
1. Create some shared goals.
The New Year is usually marked by individual goals, but it’s rewarding to work towards shared goals in partnership with your spouse. The shared encouragement and accountability can also make success more likely than when we do it on our own. Sit down together and create some BIG goals for 2015!
2. Plan some celebrations.
Once you’ve made your shared goals, plan ahead what you’ll do to celebrate once the goal is reached. This will give you something new to look forward to. For instance, “We’re going to eliminate $1000 in debt, and when we do, we’re getting a babysitter and going out to dinner at our favorite place (and paying cash instead of charging it).”
3. Plan some time together alone (out of town).
The year is wide open so get the calendar out and mark a getaway for you and your spouse with no kids. You can figure out the logistics later. Make it happen. It will give you something to look forward to and it will create some great new memories together. The out of town trip could be a “celebration” to make the achievement of one of your shared goals.
4. Have more sex.
It takes more than sex to build a great marriage, but it’s nearly impossible to build a great marriage without it! Check out our brand new video series “Best Sex Life Now” which is a powerful resource to help married couples increase sexual intimacy and satisfaction. To help you star the New Year Right, the series is currently $20 off for a very limited time (no codes or coupons needed).
5. Grow in your faith together.
I firmly believe that the strongest marriages are built on a foundation of faith. The more you love God, the capacity you will have to love each other. One practical way to do this is to go through a Bible reading plan together. You can find some great, Free Bible reading plans and apps here.
6. Laugh more.
Laughing more may sound like a silly resolution, but it’s a very serious one. Laugher infuses your marriage with joy. Find activities that bring about more laughter and fun and be intentional about doing them more often this year.
7. Turn the electronics OFF and turn each other ON. 🙂
Create more time together without digital distractions, smart phones and TV’s competing for your attention. Talking with your spouse is always more beneficial than staring at a screen. Block off certain time(s) that will be “unplugged” this year.
For more ways to build a stronger marriage, check out my bestselling book “iVow: Secrets to a Stronge Marriage” which is now also available on iTunes as an ebook download on iPhones, iPads and all Apple devices.
You can also connect with me on twitter for daily encouragement and marriage-building tools.
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