When we are at the final stages of our life and reflect back what do we identify as the most important things in our life? Was it that new car we got at 22, the promotion at 35, the house we saved for with great storage space?
Not usually!
Most people reflect and remember the people, the important relationships, or events that included those loved ones.
But during our lives we willingly work towards some of the material goals or achievements we want. We study hard at school or learn a trade, we get a job and we are willing to keep learning, up skill if necessary, take constructive feedback from our employer or colleagues, reflect on our performance and learn from it, so we can feel we are doing a good job or to make progress.
If we want that new car, house or holiday, we are willing to make sacrifices, work long hours, do without things we want, because at that time getting that goal is really important to us.
However, we meet someone, fall in love, and expect that the relationship should all just happen easily. If there are problems or the relationship isn’t how we want it to be, we often decide it just wasn’t meant to be, we are with the wrong person, or if they could be different then I would be happy!
People rarely put the same constructive energy into developing good relationship skills that they may put into other areas of their lives. We don’t all naturally have the skills or have learnt how to build good relationships or to resolve conflict.
So if the people in your life and your relationships are important to you, or you want to be a great partner, developing your relationship skills can greatly enhance your love, your life, and your future happiness.
Our psychologists can help individuals or couples improve communication, understand yourself and your partner better, understand and learn the behaviours and skills that strengthen and build close loving relationships. We can also help people minimize the misunderstandings and conflicts, as well as reduce the behaviours that regularly undermine relationships.
Don’t wait until the cracks are beyond repair, put some time and energy into your relationships now and reap the benefits for the rest of your life.