With 2020 right around the corner, I’m looking forward to ringing in the new year. It’s not that this year is necessarily extra special. It’s just that I believe there’s a visionary advantage to the year 2020. Whether it’s in work or relationships, having clarity for the new year is a good thing. For married couples desiring to take your relationship higher, 2020 can be the year you embrace a successful marriage. Use these 20 steps to get you started.
2020 Successful Marriage: 20 Steps to a Successful Marriage in 2020
In this article:
- What is a successful marriage?
- 20 steps to a successful marriage
What is a successful marriage?
Success is a quirky word. It can define a person or an accomplishment. However, one definition, “a state of prosperity or fame,” gets a lot of people hung up. In this age of social media influencers and high tech lifestyle promotions, we are sometimes fooled into believing the more followers one has, the more successful they are.
Marriage just doesn’t work that way.
As in any worthwhile pursuit, a successful marriage requires more than just a good public image. At the onset, couples must be willing to get down in the trenches and address their innermost fears, share their deepest concerns, and rejoice in each other’s victories. Sadly these days, too many couples only do that in front of the camera, leading to a faulty perception of a successful relationship.
That said, I’m not going to define “successful marriage.” What I will say is that without embracing at least some of the following steps, a successful marriage won’t be yours in 2020 or otherwise.
20 ingredients of a successful marriage
In thinking about the qualities of a successful marriage, I found it a bit too easy to generalize. I mean, the generic list is easy to identify:
- communication
- intimacy
- faith
- financial responsibility
- etc.
The thing is that I realize I’m not alone in my thinking. Year after year, couples talk about the need to improve in these areas but they are sometimes unwilling to get deeper into the heart of each issue. In 2020, let’s go deeper. Within the following ingredients are remnants of the generic qualities. We’re just getting more specific in order to achieve the kind of success your marriage deserves. So, here they are, in no particular order.
- Trust each other’s intentions.
- Choose your words wisely and pause when necessary.
- Make lots of love.
- Apologize quickly.
- Date. Often.
- Take care of yourself.
- Agree on a budget and stick to it.
- Be careful who you tell your business to.
- Open up your heart…and your mouth.
- Pray specifically.
- Don’t avoid conflict.
- Encourage each other daily.
- Connect on more than just the kids.
- Relax together.
- Purposefully consider your partner’s needs.
- Do something unexpected.
- Plan ahead.
- Be kind toward your spouse.
- Engage in activities your spouse enjoys.
- Respect your spouse in private and in public.
By no means is this an exhaustive list. Naturally, if you’re already used to doing some of them, the others won’t be as tough. But, if your marriage is on the rocks, if you’re just starting out, or if you just don’t know what to do, spice up your relationship using these ingredients one at a time.
If you envision a successful marriage in 2020, then you must be willing to embrace all that entails. This list of ingredients is just a great place to start.
BMWK, are you ready for a successful marriage in 2020?
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