9 Reasons Relationships Succeed

It's much easier to maintain a healthy relationship over time than it is to salvage it early on. Your dynamic right off the bat is usually a great indication of how your future together looks. If your relationship started off rocky, chances are that it will continue to be an ongoing battle. It's not impossible to come out of it stronger, but any early issues will work against you. But if you began with a solid foundation, things are only looking up from there.

You don't allow any lies — including small ones — to seep through the cracks because you know that whatever it is isn't worth keeping a secret. You're transparent about everything from credit card charges to messages from exes, not because you're afraid of the outcome, but because you value your partner's trust.

Anything that doesn't have a major impact on the relationship, like piling up dishes or forgetting to pay the bill, doesn't require an argument. You acknowledge it, but immediately move on without making it into a larger issue than it is. You pick your battles because you know trivial matters aren't worth getting worked up over.

This means you find ways to stay excited about your relationship, whether it's sharing new hobbies or not getting lazy in the bedroom. You understand that it's a constant effort and there will never come a day when you can just settle for what you two have. If things are good, you look for how to make it even better, and when they're bad, you don't let it defeat you.

You talk all things out with your partner because you know it's key to staying connected over the years. You prevent yourselves from becoming strangers by working problems out together, showing interest in each other's lives, checking in with one another emotionally, etc.

It's never a one-sided deal because you're both able to reach an agreement in various situations. You try your best to keep stubbornness away and instead listen to what your partner needs from you at the moment because you know they'll return the favor next time. Negotiating is much more important than declaring a "winner" — there's no such thing in a relationship, anyway.

Being in a long-term relationship will inevitably come with changes. But instead of allowing them to destruct what you have, you figure out a way to work through them together and come out stronger on the other end.

Just because your roles have developed into being partners/spouses or parents doesn't mean you forget about your friendship. You know that remembering to stay friends is just as essential to your relationship in the long run as being good partners in a marriage. That way, whenever things get difficult, you still have a deeper basis to support you.