The New Year is a time for dreaming, building a vision for the future, and setting the goals you want to achieve going forward. As the New Year approaches, you have a tremendous opportunity to support one another in both your personal goals, and your goals as a couple. We believe that this time of year is a wonderful time to truly reconnect with one another, cheer each other on, and go after your dreams side-by-side.
So how can you and your spouse build a New Year’s vision together? Read on.
See Where Your Goals Align
When you talk with one another about New Year’s goals, your best bet is to try to focus on shared vision first. Find out where your goals align, and lean into those similarities. Consider what you both want as a couple, and what you each want as individuals.
Looking at aligned goals will pave the way for discussions about the ways in which your goals as individuals might differ. That’s because you’ll be initiating that part of the conversation as members of the same team, who want to succeed together–and see one another succeed, too.
Pay Attention to Differences in Your Goals
Inevitably, you’ll have some differences or clashes in your individual goals (or even your couple goals!). These differences might mean you both need to get really honest about what you need, and what you can provide for one another moving forward. You might need to negotiate on how you’re going to pursue these goals in tandem–and you might even need to consider taking turns, depending on what those goals are and the time commitment involved.
Knowing how your aspirations for the new year might differ can help you plan now. You’ll want to get clear on how you’ll need to support one another going forward, because communication is key in every aspect of your marriage. Staying open and receptive could help you to circumvent conflict as you move through this new season.
Identify Coming Changes
As the new year unfolds, try to anticipate what changes you might need to make to your current routine to accommodate the goals you’re both trying to accomplish. Look at whether those changes are manageable, and negotiate what that might look like. Are you both willing to make changes, and possible compromises, in order to support one another?
When you want to achieve something significant in the coming year, whether that’s as a couple, as individuals, or both, those aspirations often demand change. You can’t achieve something new while doing everything the same way you did last year. So dig deep and figure out what this might look like for you, and keep communication open along the way so you can land on a game plan that works for both of you.
For example, if one of you wants to focus on fitness and healthier eating, then the environment you create together might need to support their need to exercise and cook at home more often. If one of you wants to go back to school, then you’ll need to set yourselves up for success now by anticipating the additional study and class time required to take those courses. The goal might be as simple as one of you launching a business for your art, but even that will require making adjustments to your budget for supplies and business expenses. Whatever the change is, figure it out together and plan for it.
Happy New Year!
We can’t believe 2021 is almost over! As you move into a brand new year with new goals, make your marriage a priority. Strengthening the bond you have will pay dividends not only now, but in the long run.
If you need a guidebook to help you deepen your connection with your spouse, then check out Strengthen Your Marriage. Paired with the SYMBIS+ Report, Strengthen Your Marriage will help you embark on a stronger, happier marriage in 2022 and beyond. Get your copy of the book here.
Do you and your spouse set annual goals as you move into the New Year? Share yours below.
