Five Ideas to Improve a Marriage

FIVE IDEAS TO IMPROVE A MARRIAGE

By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore

In my twenty years as a Professional Speaker giving over 2,000 presentations on Time Management and Personal Productivity and nearing our 30 year wedding anniversary, I have observed some techniques that help Nancy and I to spend more quantity and a greater quality of time as we seek to enhance the communication in our relationship.

Our marriage is not perfect. We have experienced the ups and downs like most. The point is, if we are having trouble at home, it will keep us from fully focusing on what we have to do at work. Try some of these:

1. Daily phone call. I travel a lot, and when I’m not traveling, I’m in my office. But wherever I am, I schedule a daily phone call to my wife. Nothing special, just checking in and tell her that I love her and it’s always nice to hear her return the sentiment.

2. Weekend Getaway. This was especially valuable when we had our four growing kids at home. Twice per year, Nancy and I would schedule a weekend getaway, ship the kids off to Grandma, and spend Friday night to Sunday afternoon together in a hotel. Maybe go to New York City, see a show, take in a movie, and enjoy a quiet dinner or two. And no agenda and no arguing (we’ve always done our fair share of arguing), just time together to enjoy each other the way we did before we got married.

3. Date night. As best we can, we set aside Friday night or Saturday night for just “us”. No parties or “double dating”. We enjoy movies, the golf range, and seafood. As I travel a lot and am away on weekends at times, we will reserve a weeknight for our “date night”. There’s only one way to make it happen. You have to make it happen.

4. Surprise roses. I send or bring home flowers for Nancy from time to time, when there is no real occasion to commemorate and when she least expects it. I might even send some flowers to her at work. She enjoys them. I do too.

5. Love note. Under her pillow or often on the dashboard of her car before she goes to work, I leave one of my originally authored poems (“Roses are red; Violets are blue; You’re terrific; But so am I too.”) (I really do better than that!) I know Nancy appreciates the thought but it is also a regular helpful reminder to me of who she is and what she means to me.

If these suggestions are helpful, let me invite you to attend one of our monthly public Time Management Seminars. “The best seminar I have ever attended!” During the course of our 2 ½ day Time Management Seminar, we will show you how to get more done in less time, with less stress, and how to create more time and balance for their personal life and enjoy richer relationships. Our sessions are always fun, entertaining, content rich, and filled with practical common sense ideas to help you to get more done in less time, in both your workday and personal life. Our monthly schedule for Public Seminars can be found at our webpages: http://www.balancetime.com. Or better yet, Don is available to tailor and personally conduct his learning programs, in-house, at your location for groups of eight or more from one-hour up to three days. Contact Don now for details at: ctsem@msn.com or call him directly at: (800) 969-3773 or (203) 386-8062.

Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!

Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com

Professional Member-National Speakers Association

Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com