Some of us make New Year’s Resolutions to clean up our eating habits or re-think our bank accounts, and some of us are planning to make our relationships better (or, ahem, make them exist at all). To find out what resolutions are mostly recommended for a better year in love:
1. Stay in the Moment – “Don’t look back at what you’ve done wrong. Don’t think ahead [...] Just enjoy the moment and enjoy the person you’re with.” –Patti Stanger, star of Bravo TV’s “Millionaire Matchmaker” reality show
2. Be Honest – “We see so many people that are hiding things from their partner, and that is always the downfall of the relationship, because nothing erodes trust faster.” – Deborah Y. Luxenberg, divorce lawyer with Luxenberg, Johnson & Dickens
3. Love Can’t Cure Everything – “Love is not a medicine for all your emotional ills. [...] Keep in mind that your partner is not your parent. They can only provide what they are capable of giving, based on who they are and where they are in life.” – Audrey Chapman, host of “The Audrey Chapman Show” on WHUR (96.3 FM)
4. Improve Yourself First – “Resolve to work on your emotional intelligence in order to improve your chances for finding healthy and satisfying love.” –Toni Coleman, dating coach
5. Man Up – “I watch too many couples fight, disconnect and break up because our brains are instinctively wired to protect against hurt. It takes courage in the face of potential hurt to challenge the assumptions you make about your partner or the world, but when you start down this path, you create possibilities where there may have been none.” – Keith Miller, couples counselor
6. Brush It Off – “Start choosing not to take things personally. When someone says something that’s a little off, or doesn’t return a call, or forgets something you said, resist the impulse to take offense. Instead, consider that there’s an explanation that doesn’t involve you at all.” – Carolyn Hax, Washington Post advice columnist
7. Be Available – “People who are not in a relationship need to resolve not to give up hope. And to go out and tell all their friends that they are looking and make themselves available to meeting new people.” – Dr. Ruth Westheimer, sex therapist
8. Think Positive (and Realistic) – The most effective way to boost happiness in a basically good relationship is to focus and strengthen what is already working. That positive energy makes you feel good and motivates you to keep going in the same direction. Optimism and a positive outlook also attract others to you. And stop buying into relationship myths. Learn the realities of relationships. The biggest reason couples split up isn’t sex, conflict or lack of communication – instead, it’s frustration. Specifically, frustration from unrealistic expectations about love, the opposite sex and relationships.” – Terri Orbuch, author of “5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to Great”
