Relationships are like trees that you grow from a tiny seed. It takes a lot of effort to turn a single seed into a large tree and relationships are just like that. Human beings are complex and where two people are involved, the dynamics get even more complex. Yes, love and attraction are great bonding agents but a successful relationship needs a lot more to last a long time.

There needs to be continuous effort from both sides to keep that spark alive and there are a lot of things that you need to be careful of that may end things.

So, with that in mind, today I decided to write about 5 things that every couple should do for a successful relationship.

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1. Keep The Conversations Going

Not everybody is a conversation wizard but you can do certain things to keep the conversation going which is very important when it is with your special one. The more you talk the more you come to know about each other and the stronger the bond.

For example, instead of asking each other some simple yes/no questions which wouldn’t make the conversation last much, you could ask each other open questions, like the ones relating to life, the universe, art, music, or anything that could initiate a deep conversation. This would mean talks that last for hours on end and the bonding would grow exponentially.

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2. Focus On One Issue At A Time

Couples have a tendency to make a list of all the things that the other one did that upset them and whenever there is a small fight, all those points from the list start getting mentioned one by one.

Like if your partner forgot to do the dishes last night, you would also most probably yell at them for being late to dinner the week before or for not taking the dog for​ a walk last Friday.

The healthy thing to do is to focus on one issue at a time so that your partner doesn’t feel overwhelmed by a sudden inflow of information that they may not even be aware of or the wrongs that they did unknowingly.

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3. Just Listen

We all want to express ourselves and tell our side of the things and that is great because that’s how the other person gets to know you. But more often than not, listening is more useful.

Also, when there are situations when an ‘explanation’ is needed, it's​ better to hear out your partner first before creating theories about what the reality could be. Sometimes there are two sides to the same story and both of them are correct. So, listening to their side and then coming up with a response is the wise thing to do.

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4. More Compliments Less Criticisms

Who doesn’t want to hear compliments, right? That too from someone who you consider really special in your life and love with all your heart. Something about their words can quickly catapult you to cloud nine. Therefore, it is really important that you shower each other with more compliments every single day.

But since no human being is perfect, we all have our flaws and we all make mistakes and we all have our little bad habits. Due to this, it might make the other one a little angry or sometimes a lot angry and annoyed. Criticising your partner sometimes can be helpful because that may make them realize​ what they are doing wrong and what they need to improve on. But overdoing​ it might be harmful.

Make sure that you are praising them more than criticising them. I would say a healthy balance would be 90-10, but it might differ from one relationship to another.

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5. Admit Your Mistakes

Nobody wants to be wrong and yet we all make mistakes from time to time. The healthy thing to do in any relationship whatsoever ​is to own up to your mistakes and simply admit that you made one and that you are willing to make things right. One should always strive to do so.

In a romantic relationship however, it is more important as it tells the other person that you will be willing to do the same in the future as well and that raises their confidence in the relationship. This also makes communication much more easier between couples as they are not ashamed to admit their mistakes to each other and there is a feeling of accountability that is very important and goes a long way.

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All images are under CCO public domain from Pixabay

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