If you’re in a relationship, your romantic partner should be one of the most important people in your life. They can change the quality of your life in major ways just by being around and showing you how much they love you, but no relationship is perfect – and these things can diminish over time.
The good news is that if you’re actively searching for ways to be a better partner, you’re already on the way to making huge improvements in your relationship. Try these three tips to strengthen your bond with your partner.
Look after yourself first
The best partners in relationships are those who give selflessly of their time, energy, and love, but you can’t pour from an empty cup – and if you don’t look after yourself, you won’t have anything to give to your partner.
That’s why the first step to becoming a better partner is all about working on yourself. If you’re going to get maximum benefit out of this process, it’s important that you approach it from a place of honesty. In other words, you need to form a clear picture of where you’re at right now and where you would like to be before you can get from A to B.
The most important thing you can do for your relationship is to get to know yourself better – everything from your personal hang-ups to your attachment style – and the things that make you happy. If you can do this, you’ll be able to multiply that happiness in your relationship with your partner, whereas if you approach from a place of lack, you might end up dragging your partner down rather than lifting them up.
Start powerful conversations
Becoming a better partner is a learning process, and the best way to learn is through conversation. Whether you’re in a new relationship or a long-term partnership, there are always new things to learn, and if you ask the right questions, you’ll never be bored.
In order to deepen your connection with your partner, you might ask questions that give you insight into their love language, their goals for the future, and their big-picture ideas for the future. You should also feel comfortable telling your partner all kinds of details about yourself and your life as the relationship progresses. Tell them about what you want out of life, your vision for the relationship, and anything else you can think of that will allow them to understand you better. You can even use these conversations as opportunities to start breaking those future dreams down into plans.
No matter what you discuss with your partner, make sure that you are always listening carefully and being honest.
Turn words into actions
Once you have goals and a plan for what your ideal future looks like, it’s time to start taking steps to make it a reality. Love is a verb, so show your partner that you are true to your word by acting on your ideas and doing what you say you will do.
Don’t ever feel like your future dreams are too big or too far away, either, because once you have a plan in place, you’ll see that it’s possible to make anything happen one step at a time. If you want a greater sense of happiness in your life, all you have to do is define happiness for yourself and start doing small things that take you in the right direction.
Do this, and you’ll never have to worry about letting your partner down or making them feel unappreciated.
Being a better partner is a noble goal and one that we all should aspire to, and even on the days when it feels like hard work, everything you do in the name of personal development will be reflected in your relationship. If you need more advice on reconnecting with your partner, let’s talk before it breaks.
