If you think that marriage is about finding “the one” who shares your every dream and will support whatever you do all the time, STOP right here and we’d like to advise you to go straight to the GalTime article on things that marriage counselors wish they could tell you.
If, on the other hand, you’re interested in maintaining a forever union with someone who not only shares the same values and priorities with you but respects you, I am here to suggest that marriage really should be seen as a business partnership. Romantic? Maybe not. The key to long-term happiness? I think– yes!
I am an Applied Positive Psychologist, which is the study of the strengths that make humans flourish. I coach business owners and I’m happily married. I realized that there are several components to creating a thriving business that can and SHOULD be used at the core of building a marriage. Believe me, you have to ‘build’ a marriage– it doesn’t come already assembled. How your partner handles himself professionally can be very telling of how he’ll treat your marriage. Look for the following three things when choosing a spouse. If you are already married? Pay attention to how he/she deals with the details:
Why you should love a ‘loser’
To build a successful marriage, partner with someone who has failed. I know your mother probably told you to find the most successful person possible to marry. She may have even used that dreaded line, “You can love a rich man just as easy as a poor man.” Your mother was wrong. Success is easy. When things are going well, having a partner to share things with is icing on the proverbial wedding cake. It’s when life turns hard that we need the most support. How a person handles failure and rebounds from that failure tells you more about their character and what your life together will look like than success ever will.
5 Things He Should Know (And Do) To Keep You Happy
No one wants a Lawsuit Larry
How did the person of your dreams settle their last business dispute? Did they lawyer up and fight to the end no matter the economic and personal cost? If they did, run as fast as you can from the wedding altar! How a person solved and dissolved partnership issues in the past is exactly how they’ll solve and dissolve life-love issues with you. Take note and don’t say you weren’t warned.
7 Ways to Cook Up Chemistry Through Conversation
Customer service over sales
You have a need (you want to be in love and have a partner) and you’re in the market to make a major acquisition. Unfortunately, you’ll probably go for the person with the best, most compelling sales pitch. And you’ll probably make a mistake.
Sales people are focused on winning customers. Customer service providers, on the other hand, are focused on satisfying your needs and helping you have the best experience. Who would you like to spend your life with? Someone who was fast on the uptake, or someone who cares and works at helping you meet your needs and creating the best possible outcome?
Some say that we teach people how to treat us, but in dating and marriage, too many times we don’t have enough time together to make the best decisions. That’s why looking at how they handle their careers and business lives is a hint as to how they’ll treat you.
More from GalTime:
3 Biggest Mistakes Women Make in Bed
Why Date Night is So Important
3 Benefits of Having Couples Friends
5 Ways to Boost Self Esteem and Better Your Relationship
The best part about looking at marriage as a successful business is that you enter the relationship knowing you want to build something that will last generations instead of being swept off your feet in the moment. Businesses that are built to last have shared priorities and values. Marriages that stand the test of time are built on the same foundation.Andrea Goeglein is an Applied Positive Psychologist, counselor, catalyst and personal mentor to CEOs of privately held companies and C-suite executives globally. An accredited Authentic Happiness Coach, she’s a recognized media expert in the application of positive psychology to daily life, business strategy and goal attainment.
