A new year is a perfect time to plan the next 12 months with your partner. When was the last time you had a real conversation about your dreams and plans together?
The happiest relationships are the ones where two people can work together to achieve their common and individual goals! Here are a few tips on how to have a conversation with your partner that sparks new and exciting goals for the two of you to share.
Carve out Dedicated Time
Few productive conversations can be had in the ten minutes you have together before work in the morning, or the half hour of quiet you have once the kids are in bed. Try to carve out dedicated time to reconnect and plan for the future.
This could look like taking a weekend away, finding someone to watch the kids for the evening, or heading out of the house for a long Sunday morning walk and a coffee. Set some clear expectations for what you want to get out of this time and get cracking!
Focus on Different Categories
To help guide these sessions further, it can often be helpful to focus on different categories. Think about what’s most important to you both. Are you planning to buy a property and need to take control of your finances? Are your kids growing up and you want to make a plan for helping them find their independence?
Here are a few examples of areas you might want to focus on - but remember it’s entirely up to you!
Finances
Relationships (with each other, with family, with friends, etc.)
Travel plans
Career aspirations
Personal development
Health goals
Social lives
Giving back to your community
Make Space for Joint AND Individual Goals
No one exists in a vacuum and you and your partner will have your own individual goals, as well as the shared ones, listed above. This is also a great opportunity to express any personal dreams you might have, perhaps related to your relationships with other people, your career, and so on.
Not only can your partner help motivate you in achieving these goals, but holding yourself accountable can help massively in getting you to take the first step. Voicing your dreams out loud is often what cements them in your psyche and helps make them come true.
Let me know how your goal-setting with your partner goes! I hope you find some wonderful dreams to plan for together.