The first step to having a great marriage is to set aside regular time to work on your marriage. Date nights are essential to have some fun and connect, but having a regular marriage meeting is also important to work your marriage.
In my previous employment, we had all kinds of meetings: status, staff, vision, kick-off, operations, creative, brainstorm, etc… Some of the meetings were good. Some were bad. Some were needed, and some weren’t. But, overall…we had too many meetings.
However, regarding marriage and family, I think we have the opposite problem…not enough meetings.
I’ve always been bothered by the amount of time we are willing to spend planning, prioritizing, brainstorming, etc… as it relates to business vs. the amount of time we are willing to spend doing the same as it relates to our marriage and family. It isn’t very smart if you think about it. Compare what we have to lose in both areas. In business, it costs a few bucks. In a family, a few generations.
Back to business, as many meetings, as we had during the week, the one I almost always looked forward to was our team’s weekly staff meeting. It was the one time during all of our hectic schedules of going in different directions that our team was able to take a breath, encourage each other, ask questions about each other’s projects, make sure we were accomplishing the things necessary to achieve our common goals, and strategically plan for the future. Typically I would go into the meeting with questions and lacking clarity and motivation. But after the meeting, I would normally feel encouraged, motivated, and clear on what I needed to accomplish to help meet the team’s shared goals, and excited about what was coming next.
Shouldn’t we have a weekly marriage meeting to discuss and accomplish similar things?
Put Your Marriage Meeting On The Calendar Today
Marriages would be wise to adopt a “Marriage Meeting” into their weekly routine. But not just to discuss the physical aspects of marriage – financial matters, home improvement projects, and to-do lists – but the spiritual and emotional aspects as well.
Why don’t you contact your spouse and let them know you want to start a “Marriage Meeting”. Plan a date and time where it works for the both of you to get together THIS WEEK. If your schedule is like mine, it might take the entire first meeting to find a slot where the both of you can agree on a time that works regularly (start with once per month). But press through and find a time. This could be the most important date you put on your schedule!
Please put it on the calendar as soon as possible. Your legacy is at stake!
Need some “Marriage Meeting” discussion starter ideas? Check out the following posts:
Hans co-founded Marriage Revolution with his wife, Star, in 2010. He counsels couples in The Woodlands, TX, speaks at marriage conferences around the country, and provides leadership and direction to Marriage Revolution.
