About half of all Americans make New Years resolutions, some are about achieving financial independence, some are to quit smoking, and most are along the lines of losing weight. Here are some marriage resolutions which are easy to keep.
Make a resolution to spend at least one night a week out on a date-the kind you went on before you got married. Take the same amount of time to get ready for the date, paying attention to detail, as you did when you were first seeing each other. Buy her flowers, and arrange to pick her up at a specific time. This will serve to remind the two of you how exciting it was to see each other on, say, a Saturday night.
Make a resolution to spend an hour a weekend morning-or whenever the two of you have an hour alone each week- to do nothing but have discussions. Not discussions about when to pick up the kid’s ort what to have for dinner, but discussions about world events. Turn off the TV and put down the newspaper and sit where you can have a conversation uninterrupted for at least an hour.
Make a resolution to go for a walk together once a week. Get outside, and hold hands. Walk to the park or walk the dog, whatever you want to do, but get some kind of exercise together. Exercise is good for your health in so many ways. Physical health is improved greatly simply by taking a daily walk, emotionally you will continue to bond, and spiritually the two of you get to see nature’s season’s change before your eyes as you go for your daily walks.
Make a resolution to listen when the other person is talking. Stop whatever you are doing and look at each other, giving each other your undivided attention. Lack of communication is the number one reason that couples argue, even if it is about household chores. If you listen to what the other person is truly saying, you will have fewer arguments.
After a few years of marriage, couples tend to setle down into a routine which chiefly is made up of housekeeping. Chores, kids, and commitments to outside activities take the place of sleeping in or staying in bed and watching a movie on weekend mornings, or just puttering around in the yard. Make a resolution to enjoy your time together more. Making future plans for how to spend the rest of your lives together after the children have grown and gone is fine, but make sure you take the interest and time to enjoy the time you have together right now, remember today is really all you have, as life comes with no guarantees.
If you have fallen away from your faith, make a resolution to recommit. The sense of community and unity that the two of you can find in a close church or synagogue can make all the difference in the quality of the time that you spend together.