How to Tune Into What You Really Want in a Relationship

Relationships are an exciting and adventurous part of life. We spend time exploring interactions and dynamics to find a partner, that special person with whom we want to share the many aspects of life.

A relationship can give you a new purpose. You have an additional role with more responsibilities. It can also bring more value to your life by having joint opportunities.

While this may seem like a natural process, tuning into what you really want in a relationship can be a bit of a challenge. There is no right or wrong rulebook for desirable and necessary qualities in a relationship.

This is a uniquely personal experience and takes some effort to fully grasp your true desires.

Spend Time on Self-Reflection

Take some time to get to know yourself! As strange as this may sound, many of us think we know our own selves the best, but we don’t often have a great understanding of our core selves. We are natural caregivers, so much of our time is spent caring for others, asking them what they need, and trying to provide that.

But how often do you ask yourself what you want? Probably not as frequently as you should be.

Assess your current state. Dive into your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and values. This self-exploration should also include a look at past relationships and any trends you may not realize. What went well, and what didn’t?

Think About Future Plans

Another essential factor to consider is your future plans. Where do you see yourself? What kind of dreams do you have for your personal and professional life? Is family life a priority? Or do you see yourself going down a different path and focusing more on travel, adventure, or work?

Any information can be helpful when determining whether a relationship is going to be a truly good fit. Those you choose to enter into a relationship with should be on the same page in these areas.

Establish Non-Negotiables

Forming a partnership with another person combines certain aspects of your routine life. What is important during this process is that you do not lose your identity. Having boundaries will help keep you in tune with the desires and values you’ve established during your self-reflection.

Compromise is a regular part of a relationship. You also want to determine what areas you don’t want to compromise. Boundaries relate to physical, emotional, time, communication, and financial matters.

Boundaries should not be viewed negatively; rather, they should be viewed as safeguards to ensure your needs remain a priority.

Look at Other Relationships

In most instances, comparison is not always an effective practice. It can actually have adverse outcomes. If you are in a relationship or entering into a new one, you don’t need to compare yourself directly to others.

What you do want to do is observe others who are in healthy relationships. What activities are they doing well? What behaviors can you emulate in your own relationship? Use the positives you see as a guiding example for yourself. Sometimes, just seeing happiness and proper treatment can spark your own practices.

Turn to a Professional

Reflecting on one’s actions and identifying opportunities for improvement can be challenging, especially when one doesn’t exactly know what one is looking for.

Working with a trained professional can help offer guidance, provide an outside perspective, promote and nurture a real-time practice, and establish an actionable plan for moving forward. You deserve a relationship rooted in trust, respect, and shared values.

Let us help you get started. If you want to improve your relationship outlook, let’s act today for more information.