Principles that keep your body well can do the same for your relationship.
About a month ago I got a new GPS watch to help keep track of my runs. I waited for about a year, trying to find something that would do what I wanted without breaking the bank.
I finally found the one I wanted and I have to say, it’s been well worth the price. It has also caused me just a bit of embarrassment. Now, if I look at my watch and find I’m too far behind the goal it’s set for the number of steps I should take in a day, I’ll randomly start marching in public.
Who knew a little pair of feet on my watch face with a number beside it could do such things to me?
I was thinking a bit about that today and wondering why I don’t pay attention like that to my marriage. It seems like I find myself looking at this watch every 43 seconds. In contrast, sometimes it seems like I go for weeks without thinking about how I’m doing in my most important relationship.
Busyness gets to all of us, I suppose.
But I think I’ve got some things to learn about keeping my marriage in shape from my GPS watch. See if you agree.
- A GPS watch keeps me accountable to stay moving. How would you rate the growth that’s taken place within your marriage over the last year? Two years? Five? When I’m inactive my watch tells me to move. What’s pushing you forward in marriage? Have an open conversation with your spouse about what progress you’ve seen lately. If there hasn’t been any, it’s time to get up and go to work on it.
- A GPS watch keeps tabs on my progress. It’s really interesting that when I know my fastest time for a mile or a 5K I inherently find myself trying to best it. I might even start out (like I usually do) thinking I’m going to take it easy, but then I just instinctively start racing the clock. What goals have you set with your spouse? It’s not just about moving forward, it’s about working to be something better, together. Afraid you won’t reach your goal? As Wayne Gretzky famously said, “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
- A GPS watch tells you when to pick up the pace. If you know where you want to go as a couple, you should be able to identify – at any point in your run together (figuratively) – how far away you are from your desired destination. For instance, if you set a goal to read the Bible through together during the year and you’re on day 30 in June, it’s probably time to get moving. It’s not that you haven’t been working some, you just need more intensity to get what you wanted.
The best GPS watch in marriage is your spouse.
That’s who you need to be checking with regularly. Don’t leave things to chance or let your marriage float by without knowing where you’re at and what you’d like to accomplish together. Keep talking about it. Keep working at it.
If you do, it might be that you and your spouse find yourselves out of breath, and not because you’re dog tired from running.
It’ll be because you’ve figured out how important it is to keep sweeping the other off their feet.
More reading:
10 Simple Ways to Show Your Love Every Day
Contentment in Marriage: Managing Money and Time
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