Did you miss last week’s podcast where we started this journey on how to avoid The Marriage Gap™?? If so, start here!
This is the second and final installment where we discuss The Marriage Gap™ and how to avoid it.
Let’s recap where we left off last week with Part 1… Closing the marriage gap is possible, if you make some choices to be intentional to do so. Here’s the round up of our first three ways you can bridge the marriage gap:
Clarify and commit to lifetime marital ideas.
Have established written goals, and celebrate progress along the way.
Spending time doing what you do best in your marriage.
Moving on to this week’s episode…
Be present
This is two-fold – One of the quickest ways to not be present? Have your iPhone out or the TV on while trying to have a conversation… it kills your presence and focus. Likewise, make the choice to live in the present and not in some of the past hurts you’ve been through as a couple.
Don’t comparmentalize your marriage
Keeping your marriage in a box, your job in a box, your kids a box and thinking that none of the other “boxes” affect the others just isn’t a reality. All of these other external relationships and responsibilities in life do affect your marriage.
You want to start closing the gap in your marriage? Find ways to include your spouse in all the external parts of live beyond your marriage.
For example, Jeff’s former job was not a work culture which spouses were welcomed… now, fortunately, owning a business, the idea of opening your work life into your marriage life can be more of a reality.
Knowing your marriage goals helps to keep you on track to avoid compartmentalizing your marriage.
Create yourself as a person of value for your spouse
One of the Love Languages that Mandy is filled up most with is by acts of service… so whether it’s picking the kids up from school, doing the dishes, etc. There’s ways to recognize your spouses love languages and offer a value to your spouse.
Sometimes in the midst of kids and chaos, realizing that your spouse does NEED you is a huge way to bridge the Marriage Gap.
Transform obstacles into solutions
One month after getting married, Jeff was deployed for 18 months to Iraq. That’s been the ultimate obstacle we’ve faced and often in hard times we are able to look back and find encouragement together realizing how much we have overcome.
Overcoming obstacles is all about your mindset. What mindset are you adopting for your marriage?
Increase productivity
Being productive? How does this apply to marriage? Here’s our best example – while Jeff may be the financial guy, at home, Mandy takes care of paying all the bills, taxes and financial responsibilities – surprised? It’s just one way how we are most productive as a team.
Find the ways each of you can best team up to make your marriage better- whether it’s who helps the kids with their homework or who drops the kids off at school. When each of you do what you do best, you increase productivity.
Let’s recap the Marriage Gap™. It’s the comparison between where your marriage is now and where your ideal marriage should be – that’s the gap where so many are left frustrated and hopeless.
The important thing to remember about the marriage gap is that you can work towards closing it. Our hope is that these eight ways close the gap to help you make your Marriage More.
LINKS FROM THE PODCAST
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