Set Couple’s New Year’s Resolutions to Keep Your Relationship Strong

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In the stupor that was the 1st of January — a day spent recovering from the inordinate amount of food eaten the night before and from having gone to sleep so unusually late — my partner suddenly suggested that we write our couple’s New Year’s resolutions.

We were lounging in bed, savoring the last few hours before the holidays were officially over, when the idea was spoken aloud. ‘Why not,’ I thought. ‘It sounds fun, let’s do it!’

At first, I wasn’t sure what kind of goals we could set together; it seemed to me that we are in a good place and don’t have anything specific to work on as a couple.

But I realised I was thinking about it the same way I approach my personal resolutions — mainly as a way to focus on and improve different aspects of my life. Resolutions, however, aren’t just about improvement and change; sometimes, they’re about maintaining what already exists and enriching it in meaningful ways.

So, we made a list. The exercise was incredibly helpful in bringing our relationship into focus — helping us understand where we are, where we want to be, and how we want to spend our time together. It may have become a new yearly tradition for us.

Of course, we each have our individual resolutions that are by and large…