Good Intentions

They say it's the thought that counts. Whoever made up that quote must not have been married. Right? When is the last time you told your spouse, "Honey I am so glad you thought about taking the trash out." Or "Aw you thought about getting me a card for our anniversary? That's too sweet."

So many of our great intentions never get accomplished. The result can be fatal to a marriage. When we allow the distractions of this fast paced world to deter us from taking vital action to improve our marriage, we are taking a risk. We usually don't know how vital those actions are until we neglect them long enough to experience the consequences.

Your spouse does not live in your head. They don't know how much you love them unless you prove it. They don't know you were thinking about them unless you tell them. All the great intentions in the world will not save a marriage. We have to act, and when we fail to act, we must communicate!

Sometimes the key to turning intentions into actions is letting your spouse know what your intentions are. If you're hoping to make the night romantic once the kids go down, let your spouse know! If you're planning a weekend getaway next month, let them know! This does two key things: holds you accountable to doing it, and gives them something to look forward to.

We underestimate the importance of those two things. We think we can rely on ourselves to turn intentions into actions, but too often they are forgotten. We think it is best to surprise them, but the anticipation of the event is sometimes even more exciting than the event itself!

On the flip side, when we don't communicate our intentions, we leave our spouse to guessing what is going on in our head, and the chances of those intentions becoming reality is slim. So say it!
"Honey I plan to take out the trash on the next commercial."

"Babe, I'm hoping we can get some talk time when we get home."

"Would you be willing to stay up a little later tonight with me? (wink wink)"

So this week and forever more, do less intending, more communicating, and more doing! (Take that as you wish :)

Make it great,

Mindy