26 New Year's Resolutions For Couples In 2024

New year’s resolutions for couples aren’t that much different from ones for individuals. There’s something almost magical about New Year’s Eve. It’s like a fresh start or a clean slate.

You can put the past year behind you and focus on your goals for the future. Setting resolutions is nothing new. But have you considered setting some for yourself and your loved one?

Setting goals as a couple is a sure-fire way to create a stronger connection and reinforce your bond. The best relationships are those where both people put in the effort. The more effort you two put in, the stronger the relationship.

There’s no need to have a long list you feel overwhelmed about. Pick a few you both agree on and work on them.

Here are 26 ideas you could use as resolutions. None of these have to be set in stone. Pick and choose what works for you two and tailor it to suit your relationship.

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26 New Year’s Resolutions For Couples

1. Do new things together

You and your partner could do something new every month, every week, or however you want. Research has found couples who try new things together are happier.

Me and my wife once took time to put together our own list of new things we can do together. Find a moment to sit down with your partner and do the same. If you two are struggling to think of something, here are a few examples you can consider:

Visit a new city
Try a new restaurant
Read a new book
Watch a new show
Take a new class

The world is full of different and interesting things out there. It’s definitely possible for you and your partner to find one new thing you can do together. Here’s a couples bucket list that has some other ideas of something new to do.

2. Have occasional date nights

Making date night a regular occurrence in your relationship should be a priority. Even if you’re around each other a lot, it’s important there are moments you spend that are special.

The marriage foundation did some research that found date nights strengthen marriages. Occasional date nights were found to decrease the odds of a relationship breakdown by 14 percent.

It’s easy to get caught up with the day-to-day struggles of life. It would be best if you and your partner tried to slow down and spend time together.

This will look different for everyone. You can go to dinner, the beach, hike, sky dive, or whatever the two of you enjoy. Here are some date night ideas you and your partner can consider.

3. Clean up your fighting tactics

According to research, the couples who fight fair are the ones who pick their battles. Researchers have also found that whether couples are fighting fair or dirty is one of the biggest predictors of divorce.

When you’re in a relationship, you will inevitably fight. If you want to stay together, you need to work on how you fight and resolve your disagreements.

Discussing the boundaries of your fights and when you both need to step away to cool off is a topic that should be addressed. Having this as a resolution will help to keep your relationship pleasant and intact.

It’s so easy in the heat of the moment to say something you don’t mean. But you can never take it back. Be mindful of your words to your partner, even when they are getting on your nerves.

4. Spend time without digital distractions

A study found that too much tech use can cut into couple time. Even the small digital distractions can slowly increase dissatisfaction in a romantic relationship.

You two could set aside at least 30 mins every day to talk to each other away from your devices. You can have this time when you’re in bed for the night or perhaps first thing in the morning.

Setting aside a little time each day to connect without technology will go a long way to building a stronger relationship. Take time to talk about the things you hope for the future, or resolve some issues that have been lingering.

5. Take an interest in each other’s hobbies

Dr. Stephen J Betchen says it’s important for couples to show support and respect for their counterpart’s interests. It is totally normal to have hobbies outside your relationship. We all need something that we enjoy doing alone.

But learning what each others’ hobbies are an excellent way to create a stronger connection. You may learn something new about your partner and see them in a whole new light.

Ask questions you’re curious to know the answer to related to your partner’s hobby. Express what you find interesting about something your partner tells you about their passion. Your partner will feel more like you appreciate their unique interests.

6. Give thanks to your partner

One of the benefits of expressing gratitude to your partner is it can make them feel more positive about the relationship. Even for the person, if they do something such as write a letter of gratitude, they experienced an improvement in their mood.

But there’s an important thing to remember when expressed gratitude to your partner. Research found that partner’s who were praised for their actions had more positive feelings of their partner’s responsiveness. They were also in a better mood as a result.

Telling each other what you appreciate about each other seems like such a small thing to do, but the payoff is so big. Let your husband know that you appreciate him making the bed in the morning.

Let your wife know you appreciated the full tank of gas when you got in the car that morning. Small expressions of gratitude are an excellent way to let your partner know they are seen and they are loved. Feel free to learn more about how to say thank you to your partner.

7. Schedule meetings to go over finances

A relationship study concluded that talking about money can improve marriage satisfaction. Ironically, among all types of couples, married couples apparently have the fewest conversations about money.

In a survey on money and marriage, money fights were found to be the second leading cause of divorce behind infidelity. Needless to say, money can be a very stressful issue in relationships.

Experts say a helpful place to start is discussing what money means to you and your partner. You two should also talk about what you value in life. This can help you come to a more common ground on what’s important to spend money on.

Leave no room for misunderstandings by setting aside time to go over the family budget. Here are some tips you might find useful on creating a minimalist budget.

8. Fire up your love life

Every couples goes through a phase where physical intimacy falls far down the to-do list. But if that happens for an extended period of time, it can sometimes cause strain in a relationship.

If you have noticed your love life has been fizzling out a bit, put time towards getting the fire going again. Make things fun and try something new. Here’s a good article on ways to rekindle the passion in your marriage.

9. Talk about your feelings with your partner

Talking about your feelings is crucial to a good relationship. Holding in your emotions until you explode can potentially make things worse.

When you express your feelings with your partner, according to marriage consultant Sheri Stritof, it’s important to share the deep underlying feeling. Behind the anger you might be feeling is embarrassment and hurt. Sharing those emotions may be helpful to developing deeper closeness and intimacy.

10. Exercise together

A study found that 70% of couples who work out together continue working out at least once a week two years later. Another study found that 43 percent of couples who exercise together were happier.

Decide on an exercise activity that you and your partner both enjoy. Regularly spend time doing the exercise together and see how it affects your relationship.

11. Cook together

A survey found that 87% of people believe couples who cook together develop a stronger relationship. With most couples, the cooking usually falls onto one partner more often.

Learning to cook together can be exciting. It’s a great way to get some quality time in as a couple. You can make it a goal to cook a meal together once a week.

It can be something neither of you has cooked before. You two could even consider taking a cooking class as well.

As a person who didn’t know how to cook as much, I’ve learned how to cook more as I’ve cooked with my wife. As a result, I’m able to shoulder more of the burden of cooking meals whenever we need something eat.

12. Be sure to do the little things

It truly is the little gestures in relationships that mean the most. It’s of course nice to have a big romantic gesture every now and then.

But the small everyday gestures are just as important, if not more. Sending a cute text, paying compliments to each other, buying flowers, etc. These small things show you care and that you’re thinking about your partner.

13. Try to be more positive

Life is stressful enough. Strive not to be the partners that are always negative about everything. Choose to be more positive together take life a little less difficult.

14. Don’t hold onto a grudge

Your partner is inevitably going to get on your nerves. It happens in all relationships.

However, it’s not ok to let the minor annoyances add up over time and result in a huge fight. Ask yourself, “will this matter years from now?”

If not, it’s a good idea to let it go. No one is perfect, yourself included. If it’s something you can’t let go of, then it needs to be discussed instead of holding it in and letting resentment build up.

15. Listen more

Perhaps all partners in a relationship have been guilty of not really listening to what their significant other is saying. They may be focused on something else or not as interested in the conversation.

Make it a goal for the coming year to listen to your partner more intently. Here are some tips for active listening.

16. Pick one habit to break together.

Every couple has bad habits between them. You and your partner can agree to work together to break one habit each. You two can keep each other encouraged and be more likely to break the habit.

17. More praise, less criticism

Couples can sometimes have a tendency to criticize each other too much. It’s important for their to be more praise than criticism so your partner doesn’t feel down on themselves.

Practice not criticizing every little thing your partner does differently than you. And if you haven’t given a compliment in a while, make it a point to give one more often. And make sure it’s genuine.

18. Be kinder

In a weird way, because someone is so close to someone, they can feel more comfortable being less kind to them than they would a stranger. That shouldn’t be the case. Couples can make it a goal to mind their manners and be more respectful and kind to each other.

19. More honesty

It can sometimes be hard to be honest with your partner. We either don’t want to hurt them, or we’re afraid they’ll hurt us as we’re being vulnerable. But honesty is what helps to make everything clear in a relationship and hopefully make things move more smoothly.

20. More trust

This can be a tough one in relationships where infidelity has occurred. But for all couples, choosing to trust more is an important part of being close with your partner.

Try to find ways to exercise more of it. You can read this article on what to do if you don’t trust your partner.

21. Help each other get closer to dreams

Perhaps everyone has dreams in life. It can be a great resolution for you and your partner to help each other get closer to achieving them. You might find this article I wrote on how to fulfill your dreams helpful.

22. Create a long-term plan together

This is something you can do every New Year together. Go over what your 5, 10, and 20 year plans are.

Make sure both your dreams and accomplishments are implemented into the plan. Come up with actions needed to achieve these goals together and separately. Creating long-term plans will help keep a clear vision of your future together.

23. Learn something new together

Take up a new hobby or learn a new skill as a couple. This could be anything from dancing classes to cooking workshops, offering a fun way to spend time together and learn something new.

24. Work on a DIY project

Engage in a home improvement project or a DIY activity. This not only creates a sense of teamwork but also allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor together.

25. Learn a new language together

Learning a new language as a couple can be both challenging and rewarding, especially if you’re planning to visit a country where that language is spoken.

26. Create a shared vision board

Make a vision board that represents your goals and dreams as a couple. This can be a powerful tool for visualizing and working towards your shared future.

When setting your resolutions as a couple, keep in mind what is realistic for you two, and work with that. No one is perfect, but the more effort you put into your relationship, the better the outcome. May your love flourish in the coming year.

26 New Year’s Resolutions for Couples in 2024