When we’re planning our wedding or first married, looking to the future can feel like the most natural and obvious thing in the world. We’re excited about the days to come and are dreaming of what the future holds for us. But what happens as life gets busy and the years start to pass? Are we still as quick to dream together and to look to the future in those seasons when life doesn’t seem quite as exciting as it once did?
Dreaming together can have a powerful effect on a marriage. It can help to reinforce our unity and the way we work together as a team, as well as strengthening our commitment to one another. Putting time aside to dream and to plan can also bring us clarity, reminding us of what is important to us as couple. Thinking about what we can achieve together is exciting and setting time aside to do just this can reawaken passions that we thought had long disappeared.
Looking to the future will feel different to each of us. For some, it may involve sitting down once or twice a year and setting goals for the months ahead, whilst for others it could be having more regular conversations about hopes and dreams. Whatever it looks like, taking time to set goals and plan for the future can be really rewarding, and fun too!
When it comes to the areas that we could discuss and the goals that we could set, the sky really is our limit. These could include things like finances, health, family and friendships, hobbies, work, intimacy, holidays, celebrations – anything that is important to us as a couple.
Looking ahead can also create intimacy as in these moments we’re getting a glimpse of our spouse’s deepest hopes and aspirations, as well as giving of ourselves too.
Whilst looking to the future can be very exciting, it can also feel overwhelming, especially if we’re not sure where to begin. Here are some ideas that can help us to get started:
– Put some time aside when we won’t be disturbed
– Choose a couple of areas of our marriage to begin with
– Write down our plans
– Decide on when we’ll come back to review them
The way in which one couple looks to the future will inevitably be different to how another does it and there really is no right or wrong way when it comes to this. We’re all unique and no marriage is the same. Dreaming together has so many benefits and the ways in which we can do this are countless. Most importantly, let’s not forgot to enjoy ourselves – anticipating what’s to come is half the fun!