If you are in the majority of contemporary committed couples, I’ll bet, if you thought about it for a moment, you would discover that you spend more time each week watching television or commuting to work than you do alone with your honey!
In our demanding world filled with multiple priorities, responsibilities and distractions, everything and everyone else seems to be more important than attending to our most intimate and special relationship.
I think you’d agree that to keep that spark alive, you and your beloved must spend quality, eyeball-to-eyeball time together.
Do you and your sweetheart carve out quality, alone-time every week? Do you both take responsibility for it, or does the task fall to one or the other of you? Do one or both of you allow “real” interruptions to get in the way or spoil your planned time together?
Here are a few simple suggestions to get your own personal creativity going:
• Meet once a week to look at your schedules and set aside time for each other.
• At least once a week plan a Date Night. Once a month plan a Date Day (that’s right! A whole day from morning to evening). Once each quarter plan a weekend get-away. Once each year plan a week away together.
• Mark your planned time in your calendar, just like a dentist appointment or an appointment with a client. Write it in ink! Mark yourself out for a block of time.
• Take turns planning your dates each week.
• One week you might send the kids to Grandma’s house or a neighbor’s, stay in, order a pizza and rent a movie. The next week you might get a sitter and go out on the town.
• Do the grocery shopping and buy a bouquet of flowers for your partner
• Write a love note and leave it for your partner to find.
• Put the kids to bed, and, instead of watching T.V., doing laundry or other chores, go to bed early and share massages, talk or cuddle.
• Turn off the T.V., turn on the stereo and have a talk.
• Kiss your spouse Good Morning and Good Night every day. Just say, “I love you.”
Think back to when you first started dating. What did you do? What things did you both enjoy that you no longer make time to do? Why did you fall in love?
Let your creative juices flow! Let your imagination go wild! Anything goes. This is the most important person in your life. Rejoice! Celebrate yourself and each other. Embrace the moment and the gift of your love.
Remember, only You can make it happen!
Dr. Jackie is an internationally recognized relationship expert, author and coach. Advice and coaching about personal relationships is Dr. Jackie's passion. Her goal is to inspire and support single men, single women and couples through the challenges and pitfalls of dating, loving and building lasting, committed relationships in today's fast-paced world. Dr. Jackie's Relationship Coaching Programs and Groups, her Blog and downloadable PodCasts are jam-packed with valuable dating tips and strategies.