New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Couples

New year’s resolution ideas for couples: 5 new year’s resolution that will boost your relationship

For most of us the new year is typically a well anticipated time of reflection and make plans for new goals, new adventures and growth.  However, coming up with new year’s resolutions can also be riddled with stress and guilt when we are not able to achieve our goals.  Given the fact that this past year have had its fair of challenges, it’s important to really take a look at what we truly value and minimize our stress.  

For those who are married or in a long-term relationship, you may have found yourself being in close proximity with your partner 24/7 which might have caused some friction. You may have had to work from home and help your children navigate distance learning.  Others may have struggled with the loss of financial security.  In addition, due to the pandemic and being quarantine, we had to grieve many family traditions and life events.  How do we move from a place of uncertainty and enter the new year with new intentions without feeling overwhelmed?  Two are better than one.  Having to come up with couple resolutions can help to reduce the stress and mutual accountability may help to motivate both partners to maintain their goals. 

 The following steps are ideas for couples who are desiring to shift their relationship as we move into a new year.  

1.     Take a pause and reflect- All of us have been working hard to navigate changes to our daily routines and lives this past year and this might have profoundly impacted all of us in different ways, especially in our relationship with our significant other.  It is important to acknowledge some of the difficult feelings we have had to navigate as individuals and how those feelings may have impacted our dynamic as couples.  The process of sharing your inner emotional world with your partner will allow the both of you to feel more emotionally connected and understand your partner’s process.  It will also allow you to have more empathy for their individual experience.  

Practical: Take some time and process how this past year has impacted you individually.  Listen to each other without judgment and validate each other’s feelings.  

2.     Show appreciation for each other daily- It is important to find ways to show appreciation to your partner on a daily basis.  We live busy lives and at times, our relationships can tend to take a backseat to everything else, especially if we are spending a lot of time in each other’s space.  However, it is important to practice healthy habits such as kissing goodnight or thanking your partner for completed tasks or for getting you a cup of coffee in the morning.  

3.     Set aside at 15 minutes to connect daily. We have to be intentional about our time.  It’s easy to feel like we don’t have enough time in a day.  Most of us don’t think that 24hurs is enough to accomplish all we need to but when we fail to prioritize certain aspect of our lives, it will rarely happen.  Being intentional about setting aside time to connect with no interruptions is important.  It’s not about the quantity but its quality.  

4.     Take up a project together.  Most couples find that they feel more connected when they are engaged in a mutual enjoyable activity.  Whether you decide to renovate a room or 

take up a cooking class together, it will sure to increase your connection and your fondness for your partner.  

5.     Make time to be intimate.  Many couples feel strange about the idea of scheduling sex, however a lot of times they find themselves struggling in the area because they have the mindset that sex always have to be spontaneous for it to be pleasurable.  When you have young kids and trying to balance your career and other responsibilities, sex can be one of those things that couples put in the back burner which can cause a strain in the relationship.  If you are having difficulties in this area, don’t scoff at the idea of scheduling sex, but try it out for about a month and track your progress.  

6.     Write up you plan-it’s easy to read this blog or other blogs about resolutions but it is harder to put it into practice.  I am challenging you to make a plan for your relationship by picking at least 3 things from this list to practice for the rest of the year.  Write your list out and place it somewhere you can see it daily.  The process of putting your goals on paper will allow you to strategize and have a clearer plan of attack.