Healthy relationships add to quality of life, life satisfaction, positive well-being and better health. Investing time and energy into our relationships improves our health, household income, career and genuine happiness.  The smallest changes in our interaction with those we care most about can make a huge difference in the health of our relationships.

You have probably already set New Year’s Resolutions that involve working out, eating healthy, perhaps taking additional classes or making other investments in your career.  Do not overlook the power of making small changes to strengthen your relationship and improve your chances of reaching your goals in other lifestyle areas.  Here are fifteen tips for better relationships in the New Year.

1) Pray!  Pray for your spouse.  Pray together! One recent study found couples who pray together regularly have a divorce rate of less than 1%.

2) Review your Top Ten Highlights of 2014!  What are the most positive things that happened in your relationship this year?  Use pictures or video when you can.  Share the list with your spouse!

3) Listen!  When choosing between when to speak or listen, choose to listen.  Good listening means pushing back your own agenda for the sake of the relationship.

4) Kiss!  Spend at least 10 solid seconds kissing every day.

5) Prioritize your partner – before work, friends, sports/hobbies. Treat him/her as if he/she is the best thing that ever happened to you… because it’s probably true!

6) Assume the best!  It usually was not done on purpose to you.  When you try to interpret his/her reason for behavior, start by assuming he/she didn’t do it on purpose.  Do not assume the worst.  Be curious not investigative in questions about it.

7) Flirt with your partner!  Dust off those flirtation skills and use them on the one you’ve committed to living your life with.  You never know where it will lead you!

8)  No Secrets! Stay open about how you spend your time, energy and money. Don’t let anyone or anything between you.

9) Do Chores.  Do his/her household chores for a day each month!  It will make you more grateful and the relief of duties might make him/her more amorous!

10) Choose Your Battles Carefully. Fight Fair. Show some class. Hurtful words are frequently forgiven but hard to forget.

11) Connect daily.  Do you have a scheduled time to catch up with each other every day?  Talking regularly about life can help you achieve a stronger bond in your relationship!

12) Date at least twice a month!  When is the last time you went on a date?  Even a free or cheap event can revive relationships.  Take turns planning and asking each other out for  a date.  Plan a date today!

13) Move!  Not your address, but your body.  Get active together!  Walk, job, bike, dance, hike, swim, skate, golf, garden, bird watch, people watch, volunteer, move together!

14) Change the focus of change to the person in the mirror.  Want a better marriage, begin with being the best you that you can possibly be.  Continue to grow, learn and improve.

15) Invest in your relationship. Couples who attend marriage workshops or retreats and read relationship books are more than 80% less likely to divorce.

Putting these resolutions into action in your relationship will improve your happiness, health and financial well being.  Doing a little every day to strengthen your relationship has a huge impact.  Make 2015 the year that changed your relationship for good!

This article was written by Roy and Devra Wooten, authors of “The Secret to a Lifetime Love”. Learn more at www.LifeTogetherForever.com © Roy and Devra Wooten 2014. All Rights Reserved. You may replicate this article as long as it is provided free to recipients and includes appropriate attribution. Written permission for other use may be obtained at [email protected].