With 2021 ending today, it’s time to give your romantic relationship a year-end review in order for it to be stronger for 2022. A simple check-up would be a relationship quiz developed by experts (you can find many online) which feature sets of questions that you and your partner could answer together.
“We loved with a love that was more than love.” – Edgar Allan Poe
Why you should take stock of your relationship
- To assist you in recognising and overcoming your obstacles: periodic evaluation is an essential component of every pursuit in life, including partnerships. You can stagnate or even decline without realising it if you don’t conduct regular evaluations.
- To understand your relationship and grow together with your partner with less friction.
- To communicate better with each other to voice out issues or setbacks simmering in the relationship. Couples should be able to freely express themselves, revealing the relationship’s merits and faults, without launching personal assaults.
Flying solo?
- Detach yourself – Pay attention to your own actions, judge yourself like how an outsider would observe you before befriending you. An outsider would notice things or minor mannerisms that you’ll overlook.
- List down what had happened to you – the good, the bad, and the ugly in 2021. List everything you’re thankful for, ashamed of and concerned about. List down what you discovered about yourself in the past year.
- Assess your findings and determine the fundamental causes of your actions. You’ll discover patterns, habits, and ideas you didn’t realise you have. Make a decision about what to do next. Grow your strengths, avoid a poor habit, or let go of a belief that is no longer serving you.
Evaluating your relationship, or yourself, isn’t a negative thing. It’s a healthy way to improve yourself and your relationship with your partner for the long-term.