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How are your Romantic Resolutions?

Like any New Year’s Resolution you have made in your life, you’ve experienced the forcefulness in wishing to make the desired change work.  And you’ve experienced how it can be lost in the blink of an eye as you find a) real life gets in the way; b) negativity steps in; c) massive rationalization starts. Pick one! For a humorous look at how resolutions are made to be broken, try http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/live-it/made-to-be-broken.html.

But there are many who believe setting goals is a good thing, even if you only do it once a year.  And romantic goal setting together could really pay off! Making romantic goals together can help you focus your time and energy on what is important to you both in your relationship.

So perhaps this is the year you should sit down together.  If you have a tried and true goal setting system, apply it to your relationship.  If you need some steps getting started, try these, adapted from http://www.howtodothings.com/family-and-relationships/a3968-how-to-make-and-keep-a-new-years-resolution.html

1. Take a relationship inventory together. Take stock of where you are, and what you would both like in your relationship in the coming year.
2. Be reasonable. Daydream for a while, but then look at what is practical and achievable.
3. Go on record. Write down your goal/s. Commit to each other. If you have another couple who cares about you both, share it with them too!
4. Have checkpoints. Break down your goals into do-able chunks and set mini goals for reaching them.  Celebrate small goal accomplishments!
5. Rearrange things.  You might need a new approach, plan, or process to achieve your checkpoints. Be open to shifting things together.
6. When necessary, get back on the horse.  Even if you notice you’ve missed a checkpoint or fallen out of your new process, don’t give up, just renew.  Failure isn’t from stopping; it’s from not starting again! 

So take this Romantic Idea challenge…be romantically resolute! And don’t break your New Year’s romantic resolutions.  Keep them alive and share your resolutions with us…We’d love to hear each one!