Fall in love with each other This is easier said than done, but if you are going to make a commitment to grow old together and take this commitment seriously, it helps if you are in love with each other.
This may seem an obvious thing to say, but there are some couples who rush into a long term commitment but haven't actually thought through how they feel about each other.
Make sure you know each other How well do you know your partner? Do you know all their good points and bad points? What are the things that irritate you about them? Would you be prepared to spend the rest of your life together, living with those irritations knowing that your partner may never change? Make a commitment not to get divorced If you have answered the previous questions and are still in the firm belief that you want to grow old with your partner, then sit down and talk about taking your marriage vows seriously.
Make a commitment to stay with each other through the good times and bad.
Set boundaries on behaviour How do you expect your partner to behave? What will you except, and what won't you accept? Will you still be with your partner if they are abusive in some way.
Talk openly about this and set out some behavioural expectations.
Give and take My grandparents used to say that the secret behind their 60 years of marriage is being prepared to 'give and take'.
That means not being selfish in your relationship.
Be generous and loving towards your partner, but also acknowledge that you have needs as well.
Talk about everything Finally, never get out of the habit of talking to your partner.
Make this a discipline.
The moment communication breaks down, the marriage will start to deteriorate.
I hope this has been helpful to you in giving some ideas to help your relationship prosper.
If you would like some more resources to help you in your relationship go to http://www.
bettermyrelationship.
com