While it may not sound very romantic, all relationships take some work to keep them on track. It’s not actually work in the sense of physical labor. Instead, it’s more about paying attention to what’s going on with your partner and learning how to compromise over things.
Of course, maintaining a relationship is also going to require not letting other things always take priority over spending time with your partner. You do have to find ways of keeping that fresh and exciting feeling that was there in the beginning. Most people can do that, however, there are three pitfalls that crop up in all relationships at some point in time.
- Money: These days with the economy such as it is, money has become more of an issue for everyone, whether they’re in a relationship or single. At least if you’re single, you’re the only one making your financial decisions. In a relationship or marriage, there are 2 of you making these decisions and they don’t always match. While one of you may want to go out and buy a new riding lawn mower, the other one views that money as being needed to catch up on bills and stock up on some food. Most relationships manage to keep things on an even keel by drawing up a budget together and sticking to it. This one is resolved most quickly through both partners agreeing to and sticking to a budget with the occasional compromise thrown in.
- Sex: What’s supposed to be one of the nicest things about being in a relationship often turns into one of the biggest issues within that relationship. Typically, this comes about because of mismatched sex drives, although it can also happen because of certain preferences one partner has that the other objects to. This is an issue where compromise may be the only resolution. If one partner feels he or she isn’t having his sexual needs met, there must be a way to resolve this or that partner may view this as the perfect excuse to cheat. Whether it’s too much or too little sex that’s the problem, there are ways to find a balance as long as both partners are willing to work together on it. If not, a counselor may need to be brought in to try to help resolve things.
- Communication: Oddly enough, if couples could simply talk to each other about the things that are bothering them, money and sex issues may never exist. Communication is not only about talking, though. It’s also about listening and hearing what is being said. The most successful relationships are the ones where both partners understand what good communication is, and how to use it. Talking about things is the only way that 2 people are going to know what’s going on with each other. Actually, it’s this very thing that counselors help couples learn how to do. Imagine how much money you’d save if you just did it on your own.
The bottom line is that if you and your partner can manage successful and effective communication, your relationship can truly last “until death parts you.”