1. Do what you can to remind yourself why you fell in love and got married in the first place. Often we lose sight of the things that attracted us to the people in question, not because those qualities and characteristics no longer exist, but because we can't seem them through the faults. It is easy to let people's problems, faults, and character flaws blind us to their brilliance and exceptional qualities. If your marriage is in trouble, and you want to save it, do not ignore the character flaws, but do not let them blind you to the good things about the person either.

2. Find some common ground. Sometimes in relationships life gets so busy that we lose sight of each other. We get so focused on work, school, family, kids, careers, etc. that we forget what drew us together. Sometimes our interests change. No matter what the reason is, if you want to save your marriage, one of the best things you can do for yourself is find some common ground. Common ground can repair a lot of rifts. Find something you are both interested in, and spend some time on that. It is a good way to remind yourself that you are not as different or irreconcilable as you thought.

3. Talk about your concerns. It is important when trying to save a marriage that you do not ignore the problems that are present, rather take the time to work through them. If you don't, they will just creep back up later. So, talk about your concerns. However, do so with an open mind, with the willingness to listen to both sides of the issue, and with respect. If you start to feel emotion crowding in, or the conversation getting out of control, then take a breather. It is not something you can solve over night, but getting concerns and issues in the open is a big step toward solving the problem. After all, you can't solve a problem you did not know existed, now can you?

4. Don't expect perfection. No one is perfect, not you, not your spouse. A key part of saving a marriage is remembering this. You may air your issues, and you may agree to a path to take to make things better, but you can't bail at the first sign of trouble. If you expect perfection, you are sure to be let down.

5. Address hurts and wrongs. Do not let these things fester or they will rear their ugly head at an unexpected, and unhappy time. Take the time to address emotional damages, and do what you can to repair hurts, and reestablish trusts.