Every marriage will have its ups and downs and the goals can help a couple get through some of the tougher times because you both have something to focus on. The goals can also help a couple when you experience a time of stagnation. They can create excitement that you may both be lacking.

Creating the relationship goals is the easy part. The hard part is making sure you both remain focused on them. You both need to commit to the goals and make serious efforts to actually reach them. The goals you set must be personal and goals for you as a couple. Never set goals for your spouse, let them come up with their own. Then you can correspond your goals together. Here are a few of the common goals every couple needs to work on:

• Intimacy goals. Every marriage will go through times of sexual desire and times of sexual drought. Set some goals for both of you to be more in-tune with each other and your desires. Talk to your partner about their sexual desires and fantasies and surprise them. You should also recognize your partners need for emotional and physical intimacy. Come to an agreement as to how often you would like to be physically intimate with your spouse and discuss some ways you can satisfy one another. Intimacy is a huge part of a healthy marriage so don't let it slip away.


• Communication goals. Many marriages end in divorce simply because of a small misunderstanding. Do not let miscommunication destroy your marriage. Find ways to become a better communicator with your spouse. Set some goals on how you can be a better listener and how you can communicate your needs directly.


• Affection goals. How often do you tell your spouse you love them? Do you give them a hug and a kiss each day? Set some goals on becoming more affectionate with your spouse. Instead of a peck before you leave for work, take a moment to passionately kiss your spouse. Hold onto them a little longer when you give them a hug and give them an extra squeeze. This will show them that you really do care about them and you are attracted to them.


• Responsibility goals. If you are parents, how involved are you with your children? Do you share the parenting role equally? How involved are you with your household chores? Split up the chores so everything is equally divided. However if only one if you is working to support the family, the other one should take on more of the household responsibilities to give their partner a break from their daily workload. Their partner can help out more when they are off work by doing some of the mundane chores like taking out trash and washing the dishes. Make sure you are both comfortable with the arrangement and find ways to help one another with your responsibilities.


• Compromise goals. One of the best goals you can make for your marriage is to set some goals to compromise with your spouse. Listen to your partner's viewpoint even if you don't agree with them and find some ways to find a mutual agreement.