New Years Reflections & Resolutions for Partners
Welcome to this empowering guide designed to help you and your partner(s) embark on a journey of intentional communication and reflection. As you’re approaching this new era of your relationship(s), you have the opportunity to strengthen its foundation, deepen your connection, and co-create a future aligned with your most meaningful goals.
This e-book is designed to guide you through a thoughtful and purposeful process of setting and achieving those shared goals through a series of reflective questions that prompt thoughtful discussions.
Consider this guide as your compass as you navigate this new beginning. Your shared aspirations will become the coordinates, guiding you towards a more fulfilling and purposeful relationship(s)!
Directions:
Take turns being the speaker and the listener, ideally spending no more than a few minutes each responding to the prompts.
Approach this conversation with a positive and open mindset. Acknowledge that growth is a process, and perfection is not the goal. Together, you're simply exploring what could be possible for your relationship(s), embracing the joys, acknowledging the challenges, creating deeper connection, understanding, and excitement for the future along the way.
Reflect On This Past Year
1. Memorable Moments:
Reflect on three moments from the past year that brought you immense joy or made a significant impact on your relationship(s).
Tip: Offer affirmations to your partner(s), recognizing what they put effort into, how they grew, or how they contributed to the relationship(s) in a positive way
Q: What were your favorite memories with me?
Q: What made these moments special, and how did they contribute to our bond?
2. Challenges and Growth:
Identify one or two challenges you and your partner(s) faced together in the past year. Reflect on how you navigated these challenges and the growth that resulted from overcoming them, acknowledging your role and validating each other’s experiences.
Tip: Use “I feel” statements, avoiding “You” statements, blaming, shaming, or judgmental statements when explaining or responding to the experiences shared.
Q: What was most challenging for you?
Q: How did that make you feel?
Reflect back to them what you heard, then acknowledge your role in their experience, which may sound like:
“I acknowledge I wasn’t as intentional as I could have been and that hurt your feelings.”
“I can understand why you would feel that way”
“I apologize that my actions created that experience for you”
3. Shared Achievements:
List three achievements or milestones, big or small, that you and your partner(s) accomplished together. Consider how these accomplishments strengthened your partnership(s) and brought you closer.
Tip: Show appreciation for the little things, which could sound like:
“Thank you for working so hard this year to provide for us”
“Thank you for supporting me emotionally with ...”
Q: What have you/I accomplished that you/I feel proud of?
Create Powerful Intentions
1. Individual Goals:
Share three specific goals you aspire to achieve in the coming year. These could be personal or professional objectives that will contribute to your overall well-being and growth.
Tip: Discuss how your individual goals align with the overall vision you have for your relationship(s).
Q: What are three things you’d like to accomplish this year?
2. Joint Goals:
Share three collective goals you both want to pursue in the next year. These could involve aspects of your relationship(s), shared experiences, finances, family, physical health, or intimacy.
Tip: Clearly define the steps needed to accomplish your joint aspirations and discuss the roles each of you will play in the pursuit of these goals.
Q: What are three things we can accomplish together?
3. Support System:
Discuss the type of support you need from each other to successfully achieve your individual and shared goals. Explore and identify specific ways to offer encouragement, motivation, and assistance when challenges arise.
Tip: Ensure that your support expectations are realistic and communicate openly about how you can effectively support each other without feeling overwhelmed.
Q: How can I best support you?
1. Relationship Commitments:
Express the commitments you are willing to make to each other to nurture and sustain your relationship throughout the upcoming year. These commitments may involve communication habits, quality time, or other shared responsibilities.
Tip: Be specific about the actions you commit to and consider setting up periodic check-ins to assess your progress and make any necessary adjustments.
Q: What are you committed to?
2. Celebratory Rituals:
Create a list of rituals or traditions you want to establish to celebrate achievements, milestones, or special moments throughout the year.
Tip: These could be simple gestures or more elaborate plans that hold significance for you.
Q: How do you want to acknowledge and celebrate?