New Year’s Day represents a clean slate, but waiting until the last minute to write resolutions means less time to consider your commitments and true goals. As we celebrate the holiday season and approach the end of this historic year, take a moment with your partner to plan upcoming resolutions.
Making New Year’s resolutions together energizes your partnership by communicating that you have plans for the future, and those plans include each other. And let’s be honest— resolutions tend to get a bad rap because people rarely follow through with them. Setting goals with your partner deepens accountability. Preparing your lists together will help you inspire each other to keep going when your goals challenge you in the new year.
As you work together, define and discuss your own individual goals. Being emotionally honest involves making yourself vulnerable. Foster a closer bond as you confess perceived shortcomings and wishes for self-improvement. Confide your dreams and secret desires for what you’ll accomplish next year. Listen with interest as your partner shares the same. Support those goals, even if they feel unrealistic to you. Be the voice of encouragement.
Help one another identify the best steps to accomplish these resolutions. Brainstorm ideas. Which obstacles can you help each other overcome? Determine what each of you is willing to contribute to the achievement of those personal goals. Commit to supporting each other when persisting gets tough.
Now that you’ve assisted each other, cultivate your connection by creating one or two couple’s goals together. Make intimacy a priority in the new year, and decide which strategies you’ll use to nourish your relationship.
Record your resolutions, and plan to re-examine them each month. Expect that there will be speed bumps and divots on your journeys. Outline steps to recover from expected challenges. Make a date of review night. Practice last week’s clothing-optional cuddles. Cut off outside distractions and cozy up to evaluate your progress.
If nothing else, your monthly powwow will serve as one more commitment in quality time and a reminder of what you mean to each other. And because you’re compiling your lists now, when the fireworks ignite, your midnight kiss will launch the new year with more than a heartfelt promise in the moment. You’ll have a blueprint for the best year of your relationship.
If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.
