A Simple but Effective Marriage Habit for the New Year

Insights:

For the past six years or so, the daily One Thing email has been the most popular thing we do at Awesome Marriage. Each day Monday through Friday, subscribers receive a daily email with one thing that they can do to help grow their marriage each day. From my perspective, it is a way to help people focus on their marriage in a positive way each day. 

Couples tell us all the time the difference the One Thing has made in their marriage. If we are intentional about doing something good for our marriage each day, good things will happen.  When a husband and a wife are both intentional, amazing things will happen. Last week, I talked about creating a new habit for the new year. This week I have another suggestion. It has a little bit of One Thing and a little bit of habit as its foundation.  

Here’s the process:

  • Think of something that you can do for your spouse that will make their life better, easier, or more enjoyable.  

  • Now take that thing and make it a daily habit.

  • After 30 days, evaluate it. Is your marriage better? If yes, keep doing it. If not, try something new.

Here’s mine. I am going to ask Nancy every day if there is something that I can do to help her. I have asked that question at times in the past but never consistently. I think it will make our marriage better for a couple of reasons. First, it shows her every day that I care about her and all she does. Second, it’s not just caring but also taking an action step. I need to do what she says will help her. 

Now my theory is that some days she will have something that I can help her with and some days she will not but every day she will know that I care. That helps build the Awesome Marriage we want!

Questions For You To Think About:

  • What is something that you can do daily that will make your spouse's life better, easier, or more enjoyable?

  • Now that you have it, is there anything that will get in the way of you following through? If so, deal with it.

  • After 30 days, evaluate what it has done for your marriage.


2 Minute Drill

Growing Personally While Growing Your Marriage

Quick Hits:

This Week’s Quote: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Born in January 1929, Dr. Martin Luther KIng, Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement, which achieved pivotal legislative gains with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Dr. King was a Baptist minister and in 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality and nonviolent resistance. He died in 1968 by the hand of an assassin.

  • Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

  • The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

This Week’s Trivia Question: When Jack Nicholson improvised “Here’s Johnny!” in The Shining, he was referring to what TV show?

This Week’s Did You Know: The dot over a lowercase i and j has a name! It's called a tittle, which is a noun meaning "a tiny amount or part of something.

Something To Talk About! Would You Rather: Get a postcard every day from a stranger in a different country or a 10 minute call with anyone you choose in the world once a year?


Awesome Marriage This week

AM Podcast: Winter Break

The Awesome Marriage Podcast is on its annual winter break. If you want a great episode to listen to during the break, check out this encouraging conversation I had with Toni Nieuwhof in Episode 468!  Hope For the Unhappy Marriage With Special Guest Toni Niewhof | Ep. 468

AM YouTube Channel:  Communication: Good, Bad or Ugly?

How is your communication in your marriage? Is it “good, bad, or ugly?” Join me to talk about communication.

AM YouVersion Plan:  Mind Craft: Take Your Thoughts Captive to Transform Your Marriage

What happens to our hopes and dreams and possibilities for our marriage? Why do some couples just exist together? In this three-day plan, we will look at how to reframe your spouse and reverse the negative process.


This Week’s Trivia Answer:

  • The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson!


Kim KimberlingComment