18 New Year’s Resolutions Every Couple Should Make

Even if you're in a pretty great relationship, there's always room to improve. Try some of these New Year's resolutions and really flourish this year as a couple.

Resolve to find ways to share in your partner's interests. You don't have to become an expert—let them lead the way. But acknowledging that a part of them is something you also value will bring you closer together.

All couples argue—it's healthy. But if you have a tendency to get mean, stop. Resolve this year to get help in finding ways to fight nicely. Stop with the insults, undermining and other unhealthy behaviors.

It's important to listen to our partner's feelings, without judgment or offering advice. But when you ask for feedback or solutions, listen to what your partner says. You don't have to take their advice, but in their words you might find helpful information about yourself. Be open.

Couples who enjoy each other can also support each other through the hard times. So, if you share a bad habit, resolve this year to end that bad habit together: smoking, overeating, screen addictions. Just be sure you don't treat it like a competition. Think of it more as a mini support group instead.

This year, try giving your partner more compliments. Whether it's what she's wearing or how he smells, her dedication at the office or his ways with the kids. Acknowledge something every day.

Everyone has to eat, but cooking shouldn't fall to just one person in the relationship. Cooking together is a great way to try new things, spend time together and invest in each other—with dinner (or brunch) as the result.

Get your endorphins pumping, reach fitness goals or just spend more time together by resolving to exercise as a couple.

Even if your time together on your own is limited, it's important for couples to know other couples whose company they enjoy. Finding partnered friends can be hard, so resolve this year to find at least one couple you both like being around. And make plans to meet up at least a few times this year.

If your tendency is to want to fix things for the people you love, it's important to not confuse their call to share their feelings with a request for solutions. This year, resolve to listen more and dole out less advice. You might find this actually brings you closer to your partner.

Binge-watching shows in this Golden Age of TV is how a lot of couples spend hours and hours of their non-working time. While it's nice to snuggle on the couch, you're not actually interacting with each other. You don't have to cancel Netflix or cut the cord, but do cut back on evenings in front of TV shows. Instead, resolve this year to find something you enjoy that doesn't take a lot of effort but that has you looking at each other's faces instead.

Nothing brings couples closer together than making a big commitment. That doesn't have to be marriage, but if you're in this for the long haul, resolve this year to make a long-term plan together. If you both want to be homeowners, make a plan to save or to start looking. If you want to move to a new city, start doing the research for that. Return to school? Change jobs? See how you can support each other.

If you've been together for awhile, you might not desire your partner as much. But even planned sex has a way of bringing two people closer together emotionally as well as physically. Resolve to do it more this year.

While you're watching less TV, you might need to also cut down on all screens. If you're looking at your smartphone during dinners out or Instagramming your dates more than participating in them, it might be time for a couple's screen detox.

When is the last time you and your partner talked about things like faith, money, politics or life goals? If it's been awhile (or never), resolve this year to do a values check-in. Maybe one of you thinks you guys drink too much or another wishes you'd become more active in these trying political times. If you're not sure what your partner thinks about these things, set aside time to ask, listen and make a plan for change.

Work, work, family, work. Do you guys even have fun anymore? This year, resolve to change that. Resolve to get out and play with your partner. If you have kids, they can come along sometimes, too. But make sure to get out—just the two of you—for more than dinner at least a couple of times this year.

One of the best things you can do as a couple is spend time apart to hang with your single friends. Resolve to reconnect with friends you haven't seen much since settling into your relationship. Or hang out more with the friends you haven't seen in awhile.

There's nothing like feeling as if you've won a popularity contest every day of your life. Give your partner that feeling and resolve this year that, no matter how hard your day was, you'll smile when they walk through the door.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is kind of a tired saying. But there's some truth to it. And being away from one's partner is a great way to reconnect with yourself, your interests, to not have to negotiate tastes, preferences, different bedtimes, etc. If you need that, resolve to do things apart this year—take a class, take a trip, go to dinner alone. It's not sad, it's not a sign of problems. It's a sign you still like yourself. Which is important in liking someone else.