Create Your Strategic Plan For Love

Just like every successful business and organization needs a road map to stay on track, everyone can greatly benefit from creating a Strategic Plan for Love.

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Many of us only focus on the direction of our relationships when something goes wrong.  This year, be proactive and sit down and get clear about how you want your love life to be.

If you are in a relatively new relationship or are single, you can use these guidelines to write your vision for the romantic partnership you want to build in your life. If you have a committed long-term partner, this is a wonderful process for making some time to talk about how you would like your life as a couple to be. Since the Strategic Plan for Love contains a very business like approach, even people who don’t usually like talking about relationships or emotions often genuinely enjoy this process.

Here are some guidelines for designing a great Strategic Plan for Love:

1. Contemplate the primary qualities you want to experience in your romantic relationship such as love, romance, clear communication, support, sensuality, fun, or spiritual connection. If you have a partner, discuss what qualities you would like to see expand in your relationship in the future.

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2. Include each relationship area in your Strategic Love Plan such as romance, work/life balance, sex, recreation, family, financial security, and parenting if it applies. If you are part of a couple who has had some challenges, ask each other the question, “What would this area of our lives look like if it really worked for you?” Listen carefully to what your partner has to say and focus on how this aspect of your relationship would be if it worked well for both of you.

3. Be sure to write down your Strategic Plan so you will be able to use it later (do this with your partner if you are in an established relationship). Begin with a brief summary of how you would like each area of your romantic life to look for the coming year, two to three years from now, and the next five to ten years. Include your relationship goals and two to three realistic action steps you can take to help achieve your goals.  Make it as long as feels right to you and your partner if you have one.

4. You can map out your entire Strategic Love Plan in a day or two or do it over a few evenings if that will be more fun. If you are doing this with a partner, encourage him or her to take ownership of this process so you both can be fully involved in envisioning your best life together.