Sometimes, when you have been in a relationship for so long, you fall into a routine and often forget about the things you wanted to achieve as a couple.
Don’t think that all hope is lost if you feel that you haven’t moved forward in your relationship for a while. Here are four steps you could follow to change that.
Steps to move forward in your relationship:
1- Keep the flame of passion alive:
One of the things that couples who have been together for a long time complain about is the progressive loss of the initial passion and flirtiness they experienced at the beginning of the relationship.
They feel that they reached a stagnant phase because they can’t move forward, but they can’t find their way back to the good times either. What many couples who are in this situation say about this, is that they don’t feel comfortable mentioning this topic to their partner because they are afraid to be misunderstood.
Talking with your partner about your sexual desires and how you would like to satisfy them is very important, regardless of how you think your partner might feel. You need to be honest with them and suggest things you would like to try in the bedroom. If you feel like you are going to be misunderstood, just reassure them as many times as needed that you only want your relationship to keep growing.
Another great way to spice things up is by being flirtatious. Flirting with your partner shouldn’t stop just because they became yours. On the contrary, you should feel more comfortable being playful and sensual with each other.
2- Discuss difficult topics directly:
Some couples think their relationship reached a stagnant point because they feel they can’t be honest with each other. They start suppressing things that they definitely should tell the other party which eventually creates an unnatural distance between two people who should be very close. Some couples even describe it as being in a relationship with a stranger, if things go unsaid for too long.
To guarantee that your bond as a romantic couple evolves and deepens with time each person should communicate things they wish to change or improve in the relationship as soon as they think about them. This will avoid accumulating resentment towards each other, which would only create another obstacle to the relationship progression.
It’s not always easy to be completely honest with our partners, because we don’t want to hurt their feelings by telling them that some of their actions hurt the relationship. If the relationship is overall healthy, we assume that our partner didn’t have bad intentions so we just try to forgive. But true forgiveness in a couple is only possible after communicating what the other side did wrong to give them a chance to apologize.
3. Be supportive of your partner:
The fact that each party of the relationship might have some goals to achieve outside the relationship without their partner’support might make the relationship stop moving forward. Generally, people have dreams they would like to fulfill, and sometimes feeling the support of those they love is enough to motivate them to pursue those dreams.
If they don’t feel the necessary support, they find it harder to gather strength and push forward. With the lack of support from you, your partner might feel that there’s nothing else they can achieve in life.
You need to pay attention to your partner’s desires. If you need to ask them if they are happy with their life to be more aware of the situation, don’t hesitate to do so. When your partner tells you that there are still some things they would like to pursue, you should show them your unconditional support.
When either you or your partner achieve a goal, this could bring many new opportunities to make your relationship move forward.
4- Make clear plans for the future:
If you are in a serious relationship, you probably had a conversation about the things you both want in life and how you would like for the relationship to progress. You probably also reached a common agreement.
However, what many people aren’t aware of is that when a relationship lasts for years, you probably need to revisit that conversation every time you feel stuck. Maybe your priorities have changed throughout the years, which is normal, but If that’s the case, you should talk again with your partner about the things you want to achieve in life and how they affect your relationship.
You may also find that your partner is expecting new things or is no longer interested in some things you discussed previously, but this only means that you need to find a common ground again. Ideally, if you maitain good communication and ask each other deep questions that have a purpose, then you will rarely find yourself wondering what your partner’s life goals and priorities are and where the relationship falls.
We can get easily distracted by our daily routines, so it’s good to sometimes take a break to analyze some things that you are certain that you both want to get from the relationship. This way, you will both make an active effort to move forward in the relationship.