It’s no big secret that getting married with life isn’t always smooth sailing and that marriage needs hard work to make it successful. We’re all human, after all, and that means we have our mistakes and annoying habits. It also means that inevitably married couples will disagree and fight, but that doesn’t mean a marriage can’t be a wonderful thing. If you’ve ever been through a rough patch in marriage, you may have wondered how some people have such successful ones. Here are ten of the secrets that can help make a marriage a strong and solid one.
Be realistic about marriage
You really need to apply the 80 – 20 rule to a marriage, just as you need to apply it to most other things in life. Accept that there will be things about your partner that annoy you, and that you won’t dance with happiness 100% of the time. If you don’t over your image of marriage the romantic way, and you’re a little more realistic about it, you won’t be so disappointed when you find out the truth.
Be nice to each other
Familiarity really does breed contempt, and that can be a dangerous thing in a marriage. Whenever faced with a choice of saying something offensive, or being kind, choose the sensible type and option. Be as nice and polite to your partner as you would be to anyone else, and never take your spouse for granted.
Preserve your individuality
It’s important to work together as a couple, but it’s equally important to remember that you’re two individuals too. As matching as you may be, you should still be able to pursue your own interests and be true to yourself. Keeping that individuality doesn’t weaken a marriage, it strengthens it.
Don’t stop having fun together
Don’t think that just because you got married, you have to stop having fun together. Whether you enjoy going for walks together, or eating out in swanky restaurants, it’s important to get out of the house occasionally and have a good time together.
Be 100% honest with each other
Complete honesty and total trust are two of the main ingredients in a successful marriage. There should be no lies, no secrets, and both people should feel able to speak freely. If something about your spouse is annoying you, then you should say so, because the only way to solve problems in a marriage is to get them out in the open.
