Making sacrifices for your spouse can really solidify your commitment to each other, and in healthy relationships, sacrifices should go both ways. Luckily, even small sacrifices can have a big impact, so you don’t have to rely on grand gestures or wait for big opportunities to make a positive difference in your relationship.

Commit to making a small sacrifice for your spouse today, or sometime this week. Think of something…

• you have control over (e.g., you can’t make their boss treat them better or give them a raise)

• small, that you could do almost any day you wanted (if you aim for something that requires too much extra time or effort, it might not happen)

• that will give your relationship a boost, and that your spouse tends to like

• that you normally wouldn't do (even though you could), so it's a bit out of the ordinary and requires some sacrifice on your part

Don’t draw special attention to what you’re doing or expect your spouse to immediately reciprocate. View making small sacrifices for each other as a way to do your part in the relationship. In fact, people in healthy relationships often don’t notice that they are sacrificing for their spouse because it comes so naturally to them.

Love can be rekindled

Falling in love can feel easy. It’s often a chemical rush that draws us together. We’re swept up in the novelty of the new relationship, learning about each other, and sharing fun experiences. Over time, that excitement fades. Some people mistake that as falling out of love.

On the contrary, love that lasts is always going to require work. Most good things do. Imagine the beginning of a relationship as going downstream in a boat. You have a lot of momentum to carry you, and things move quickly. But, at some point, the waters calm, and we have to find our oars and begin to paddle.

All relationships hit plateaus – this is when we have to really work hard to keep the momentum going. Instead of wishing for the carefree ride at the beginning, or comparing your journey to others’, remember why you started walking down this path together in the first place. When your relationship hits a lull, you’ll have to put in extra work to reconnect, to love with intention, to date your spouse again, and to communicate through it. That hard work will be worthwhile. Marriage is the adventure of a lifetime.

For more mini marriage PREP tips, click here!