Relationship Basics – Part 2

We’re back with Part 2 of our Relationship Basics series. As we mentioned in Part 1, sometimes there’s no substitute for getting back to basics. It’s not uncommon to fall into bad habits over time. Reviewing the fundamentals and continuously working on these foundational relationship skills will help ensure your marriage stays strong. Let’s dive back in!

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Goals: Setting goals together, whether long- or short-term, for your relationship or everyday life, is a way to live out your commitment to each other. It provides you with a sense of purpose, motivation, and accountability as you strive to be the best versions of yourselves – for each other and your family. Check out these tips for making your relationship goals a reality, as well as some insight if you have a tendency to give up on them. And if you’re working toward a goal right now, but need some encouragement to keep going, then this post is for you.



Growth: As individuals, you grow and change over time. Your relationship needs to grow and change, too. Without this evolution, it’s like a plant being stuck in a pot that’s too small. You won’t have room to truly thrive. How do you know you’re growing as a couple? Check out five signs here. Need some help taking those first steps towards growth? Read more here.

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Habits: Habits have a way of shaping your life – for better or for worse. Sometimes it feels like it’s easier to fall into bad habits than to instill good ones, but really it just takes a bit of intention. Eventually, those habits, by definition, become second nature. Whether you’re striving to create positive habits around your health and throughout your marriage, or looking to nip some negative ones in the bud, we’ve got tips to guide you. 



Hard seasons: All couples go through ups and downs over the course of their marriage. These different periods of time, or seasons of life, can be brought about by a certain event, your life stage or circumstances, or a combination of these things. They are usually temporary, even though it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you’re in the thick of it. If you’re going through a tough season right now, find some encouragement here and here. 



Humor: A sense of humor is usually a coveted quality in a partner. When you share a sense of humor with someone you’re just getting to know, it helps you feel at ease and gives you a sense of chemistry and connection. Once you’re married, humor offers many other substantial benefits to your relationship, including less fighting and a stronger bond. Read more about the benefits here.

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Intimacy: What is marriage without intimacy? Of course, it’s not just about physical intimacy. A strong marriage requires emotional intimacy as well, and usually these things go hand in hand. It’s about expressing your love to each other through a close or shared connection, whether that connection is physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, experiential, etc. One of the most basic ways to boost intimacy in your marriage is to work on your emotional closeness. Start by fixing these five things.

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Journey: Life is a journey, and so is your marriage. It’s unique to you and your spouse alone. Whether it’s gone exactly as you’d planned or you’ve taken several detours or alternate routes to get where you are now, you’ve done it together. Don’t overlook these milestones along the way. Find joy in the journey and take pride in what you’ve gone through as a couple.

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Kindness: Kindness is a bit of a tricky thing in marriage. On one hand it seems obvious that you’re kind to your spouse. On the other hand, it’s not uncommon to start skipping over basic kindnesses with each other, even if it’s simply a byproduct of familiarity. This type of complacency is toxic over time; avoid it by continuously working on being a better friend to your spouse.

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Learning: Embracing the mindset of lifelong learning in your marriage is what propels you to grow together – both individually and as a couple. Take the initiative to learn more about yourself. You’ll find that increased self-awareness will have a positive effect throughout your relationship. Be intentional about learning new things about your spouse. As well as you know them, they are also always evolving in small ways. 



Love: It’s hard to know where to start when talking about love in the context of marriage. Hopefully it’s threaded throughout your daily life and interactions with your spouse, and you feel it undeniably and express it often. But the reality is, you don’t always feel loving toward each other. What then? Or sometimes, you might not particularly like your spouse, even though you know you love them. We dive into that here.

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Marriage: There’s a lot to be said about marriage, as is evident by this blog! Sometimes it’s idealized, other times it’s cast in a negative light. The reality, of course, usually lies somewhere in between. Marriage is challenging and rewarding. It can be the hardest thing you’ve done and the best thing. Ultimately, you get out of it what you put into it. 



Money: Money is a touchy subject for many couples. Why? Because differences aren’t just about being a spender or a saver. The meaning and values you attach to money are deeply ingrained in you, directly affecting the way you interact with money, both consciously and subconsciously. As complicated as it can be, it doesn’t have to drive a wedge between you. Find out how money disagreements can actually bring you closer, as well as three conversations to have if you and your spouse constantly clash on the topic.

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Newlyweds: The newlywed period is a special time. The experience of starting a fresh chapter in life with your spouse is exciting, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. If you’re only expecting the “happily ever after” part, you might be caught off guard when new issues develop, new conflicts erupt, or existing ones take on a new dimension. We’re here to let you know this is completely normal. In fact, we created a 2-part guide specifically for this phase. Check it out here and here.

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Owning your feelings: When you own your feelings, you acknowledge and identify your emotions and take responsibility for them, instead of ignoring or minimizing them blame others for “making you” feel a certain way. It’s a skill that doesn’t always come naturally. It takes self-awareness and emotional maturity, but can ultimately be a very empowering mindset to lean into, particularly when dealing with conflict in marriage. Read more about owning your feelings here.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of this 3-part series!