Is your relationship on the road to success? Successful relationships all have one thing in common – an understanding by both partners of the ingredients that go into making their relationship work. Destructive tendencies are noted and avoided, while constructive actions, which contribute to building strength and depth into a relationship, are the main focus. Check out the six key relationship ingredients that make for a healthy relationship for couples…you might just find that relationship success is closer than you think!

Trust – Trust is an essential ingredient in all successful relationships…but it has to be earned! People do not walk into a relationship and expect trust to be there from day one. No, trust is an accumulative ingredient, put in place by partners being there for each other time and time again. Only when you get to the point that you do not have to question if your partner will be there for you, because you know they will be there, is trust truly gained.

Honesty – Being faithful to yourself and your partner is fundamental in a healthy relationship for couples. Strong relationships are built on an ‘open-book’ policy – that is to say that it is okay for your partner to know the worst thing about you. All successfully married couples will agree on this point, as in their open book, the secrets to a long and happy relationship are to have no secrets!

Communication – The #1 complaint received by marriage counsellors from couples seeking guidance is that communication has broken down in their relationship. Communication is what makes a relationship tick. Without it, problems and issues snowball, rolling you down the hill at an ever faster pace towards divorce. Open communication on the other hand, where partners are free to express their feelings to each other without fear, is the #1 way to solve most if not all marital problems!

Solution-oriented – Every relationship has its problems – even successful marriages! But what sets successful marriages apart from less successful ones is the commitment by both partners to find solutions to their problems. Every time their relationship hits a complicated situation, they do not run and hide from it, or hope that it goes away by itself. No, they sit down with each other, discuss their different viewpoints and work out a solution through negotiation and compromise.

Teamwork – Resolving to tackle marital problems and issues hand-in-hand as a team is another important ingredient in a successful relationship. Why is teamwork important? It’s important because when you pull together in the same direction, you reach your destination faster and end up achieving more than you would if you pulled in different directions!

Shared responsibilities – It takes two people to have a relationship, so responsibility for the health of that relationship must be shared too! Both partners should make the effort to keep giving their relationship a health check, and commit to asking each other if there is anything else that can be done to improve the relationship.

Use these six key relationship ingredients and I guarantee you that you’ll keep your relationship in tip-top condition!