As we start 2016, many of us are prone to look back and take stock of how last year went. We celebrate our successes and reconsider how to overcome those areas where we feel lacking.
For some, maybe your marriage became more of a burden and less of a joy. Maybe you or your spouse lost focus. Maybe the trials of life became a wedge in your relationship. Maybe the simple fact of time itself made either of you lazy in regard to working on the relationship. Whatever the cause, here are my simple challenges to you to refocus your marriage:
1. Be together for at least twenty minutes every day.
This means talking and listening to each other with undivided attention. No mobile devices. No kids. No others. Just you two. Research indicates that at least twenty minutes per day of such focused communication is essential to building and maintaining a great relationship.
2. Learn how to be non-reactive.
When conflict arises, choose to be calm and thoughtful in response to your spouse. Don’t let your emotions always make a quick, unfiltered reply. Spouses who get stuck in reacting back and forth fall into cycles that are painful and cause relational distance.
3. Don’t point fingers.
Learn how to work together against any problems rather than making the other person the problem. By focusing on an issue together, you’re bound to discover a better solution while also fortifying your marriage.
Starting now and into every new year forward, these three simple steps can do wonders for your marriage.
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