Do you know the most important things every relationship needs to succeed?
A lot of people wrongly assume that love is all you need to stick with someone but that’s far from the truth.
If you think love is the only requirement for a successful love life, you’ll be shocked to find out it’s not often enough to keep a romantic couple together.
Getting into a new relationship is easy but maintaining it and making sure it lasts is a challenge many people have.
The reality is that being in love is not the only thing that’s needed to hold a couple together.
Several factors contribute to the success of a romantic relationship.
According to Mahatma Gandhi, “Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance, and appreciation.”
Even if you find true love, without mutual respect, trust, and commitment, you’ll be unable to stay with your partner for the long haul.
It’s important to make sure you cultivate the right interpersonal skills that can help your love life thrive.
In this article, we take a look at the most important things every relationship needs to succeed.
7 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS EVERY RELATIONSHIP NEEDS
Building a long-lasting relationship with someone can be stressful and discouraging when you don’t have the necessary skills or qualities.
If you want your relationship to be successful, here are the most important things you need to have as a couple:
#1 Respect
Mutual respect is undeniably one of the most vital ingredients every relationship needs to stand the test of time.
Renowned author and speaker Mona Sutphen believes, “Most good relationships are built on mutual trust and respect.”
Couples who treat each other with respect often last longer and become more emotionally connected than others.
If you want to enjoy a successful and happy love life with your partner, you need to respect them no matter what.
Whether you’re angry at your partner or they’re doing something you don’t like, remember to address them politely.
Avoid yelling at your significant other, putting them down, or dismissing their opinions when they share their thoughts.
When someone feels respected, valued, and desired by a romantic partner, they’ll want to be closer to them.
#2 Honesty
Another important quality that’s essential for a successful relationship is honesty.
I’ve discovered that some people tell lies and keep secrets from their partners because they are afraid of being vulnerable.
So instead of speaking the truth, they cover up their actions and deceive their partner.
The key to building a strong intimate relationship with someone is to be vulnerable and truthful with them.
You can’t say you love your partner and hide things from them or lie to them about certain things.
Healthy couples choose to tell each other the truth no matter how hurtful because they know it’s always better to be honest than to tell lies to your loved one.
Even though your partner will be upset with you for something awful you did, tell the truth anyway.
They may get mad at first, but they’ll appreciate your honesty and trust you more as your relationship progresses.
#3 Trust
One of the most common problems couples struggle with in a romantic relationship is trust issues.
It takes time to trust someone and once trust gets broken, it can be hard to regain.
Without trust, couples question each other’s real intentions and hide important details from one another.
As a result, they don’t work together as a team and their relationship fails to evolve over time.
If you want to enjoy a healthy and thriving love life with your partner, you need to build solid trust by speaking the truth, keeping to your word, and being understanding.
Avoid hiding secrets, telling lies no matter how small, and overreacting when your partner expresses their feelings openly.
When you’re transparent with each other, you’ll give your relationship a high chance of success.
How To Build Trust In A Relationship
#4 Communication
Good communication is another important ingredient that’s required for a long-lasting relationship.
How well a couple communicates in a relationship determines how long they’ll stay together.
It’s essential that you can talk about a variety of issues and express your feelings openly with your significant other.
If you can’t discuss certain topics with your partner because you’re afraid of being judged or criticized, it’s a sign you’re with the wrong person.
Healthy couples often talk about what interests them and can express their feelings freely with each other.
When you have a good level of communication in your relationship, you’ll be able to understand your partner better, communicate your needs easily, and experience greater satisfaction in life.
If you have poor communication in your relationship, work on opening up more to your partner and give each other a safe space to be vulnerable.
How To Communicate Better In A Relationship
#5 Intimacy
Whether physical or emotional, intimacy is extremely important in a relationship and it’s the glue that binds a couple together.
However, intimacy doesn’t have to start and end in the bedroom. There are many ways to bond with your partner apart from lovemaking.
An effective way to increase your emotional connection is to spend more time together.
You can choose to talk about your love life, have regular date nights, take long walks in the evening, or ask each other intimate questions as a way of bonding.
Little romantic things like kissing your partner on the forehead, giving each other warm hugs, and cuddling in bed are all excellent ways to keep the passion alive too.
Instead of waiting until you get to the bedroom to romance your partner, try engaging in fun couple activities that can enhance your emotional intimacy.
Once you get into the habit of doing romantic things on a regular basis, your love life will significantly improve and you’ll become closer to your significant other.
#6 Loyalty
Nowadays, many people don’t stay loyal to one partner even though they agreed to a monogamous relationship in the beginning.
It’s so easy to catch a significant other cheating on you with someone else instead of being faithful to you as they promised.
Loyalty is another important ingredient that’s needed to have a successful relationship.
Couples need to be committed to each other and not look to other people for love or attention, especially during hard times.
It can be tempting to seek comfort and warmth in another person’s arms when things aren’t going well in your relationship.
However, even when you’re fighting with your partner, you need to remain faithful to them and work things out instead of having an affair.
That’s the secret to having a strong relationship that can stand the test of time.
How To Tell If Your Man Is Loyal To You
#7 Commitment
Maintaining a healthy and happy relationship requires hard work, commitment, and the willingness to forgive.
Couples who stay together for a long time are the ones who decide to constantly work on their love life and never give up on each other.
Starting a new relationship is easy but doing what it takes to keep it alive is often challenging.
Many couples usually give up when they encounter obstacles along the way.
However, the key to building a successful relationship is to stick together and do everything you can to make it work.
No matter how rosy it seems from the outside, every couple struggles with different challenges and the only way to overcome them is to keep fighting for your love.
When you’re committed to staying together for the long haul, you’ll be able to navigate the ups and downs of life as a team rather than running away when things get hard.
So learn to forgive your partner for wrongdoings, let go of past mistakes, and be willing to put in the effort to improve your relationship regularly.
Conclusion
Keeping a romantic relationship alive is not a walk in the park.
In all my years as a relationship coach, I’ve seen many couples break up because they didn’t have what it took to maintain their bond.
Even though you love each other, it won’t be enough and you’ll need other ingredients to stay together.
Things are not going to be rosy in your relationship all the time, so it’s necessary to have the right set of skills that can help you overcome the challenges you’ll encounter.
One of the most vital qualities to cultivate in your relationship is trust and good communication.
Real love is not based on extravagant gestures, exotic vacations, or romantic dinners; it is based on mutual respect, trust, and compromise.
A couple that doesn’t trust each other or communicate well will find it hard to build a successful love life together.
However, if your partner has your best interests at heart and you can express your feelings with ease, that’s a sign you’re with the right person.
When you’re in a good relationship, you’ll feel safe to be yourself and explore your hobbies without anyone holding you back.
And that’s the best kind of environment you need to grow as an individual.
If you’re ever in doubt about whether you’re with the right person, go through this article and see if your relationship has all the aforementioned qualities.
Recommended Reading:
10 Things You Should Never Tolerate In A Relationship
How To Solve Relationship Problems Without Breaking Up
14 Things To Try Before Giving Up On A Relationship
About The Author
Jennifer Dagi
Jennifer Dagi is happily married to her best friend and the love of her life. As a relationship coach, she is passionate about helping couples build healthy and happy relationships.
She strongly believes communication and intimacy are important in building a successful relationship.
Join her on a fabulous journey to improve your love life one step at a time and don't forget to subscribe for weekly blog updates.