Are You Making These 8 Common Relationship Mistakes?

Are You Guilty of Making one of These 8 Common mistakes in your  Relationship?

No relationship is perfect, and no partner is perfect either, but many relationships can be made easier if you know up front which patterns and behaviors can be toxic to your success as part of a couple.  Consider these eight common relationship mistakes that experts point out can lead to failure and unhappiness on the road to the lasting love and commitment you seek.

Mistake #1: Trying to Change Your Partner

In the initial stage of attraction in a relationship, many of the little things that may put you on edge about your prospective partner may seem like just that, little things. But pay attention to what you’re seeing and what you’re getting before you enter into a committed partnership, because as the days wear on, those little things become bigger and you need to be honest with yourself from the start about whether you can live with those things if they never change.

Making the mistake of trying to change your partner can lead to dissatisfaction for both of you. If you are constantly frustrated with your partner and trying to change him or her, you will be unhappy, and if your partner is constantly being nagged and made to feel as if he or she is somehow wrong or not good enough, that can cause unhappiness as well. One of the best things you can do in a relationship is be honest with yourself and your partner about what you can and cannot live with, before it becomes an insurmountable issue.

If you are already making this mistake, consider whether the things that you want to change about your partner are really worth the aggravation to either of you to continue arguing about or if you would be better served by learning to let it go and accepting your partner for who he or she is, flaws and all.

Mistake #2: Believing that it is Your Partner’s Job to Make You Happy

This common mistake can ruin the potential in any relationship. You, and only you, are responsible for your own happiness. Of course you are influenced by the circumstances and waves of life, but at the core, only you can decide how to cope with and approach your life as well as your attitude toward it and the people around you. Communicating frustrations and difficult emotions is one thing, but pushing blame onto your partner for your feelings is no way to make a relationship work.

Mistake #3: Creating Unnecessary Conflict and Drama

Many couples will tell you that it is easy to get caught up in a cycle of conflict and drama in a relationship, and in fact, arguing and fighting can even become addictive. For some couples, one partner or the other may feel that if their partner isn’t fighting for them or with them, then their relationship lacks passion and excitement. Others, perhaps raised in chaotic families or circumstances, may have never seen any other way of being in a relationship and believe that conflict and drama are the norm. Regardless of the reason for it, an atmosphere of constant conflict and arguing is not the right environment for fostering long-term mutual love, understanding and respect.

Mistake #4: Feeling Insecure

When one or both partners in a relationship let their personal insecurities get the better of them, it can spell disaster for a couple. We all have things about ourselves that we don’t feel 100 percent confident about, from the love handles that have developed along the waistline, a few wrinkles, or substantially less career success than hoped for. Whatever your particular points of insecurity are, it is best not to let them get the better of you. A partner who lacks personal confidence and self-esteem and requires constant reassurance can be hard to live with and becomes less attractive over time. Being a supportive and loving partner is one thing, but feeling responsible for your partner’s sense of self worth is quite another.

Mistake #5: Being Extremely Jealous

If you jump to the conclusion that your partner must be cheating on you whenever he or she speaks with someone that you fear they may find attractive, you may be guilty of committing this common relationship mistake. Likewise, if you constantly feel the need to peek at your partner’s text messages, call log or emails. Loving relationships do not grow under such conditions, but rather in circumstances where there is mutual trust.

Mistake #6: Avoiding Discussions About Serious Issues

It can be extremely difficult to talk about certain subjects with your partner in an    intimate relationship, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it anyway. A true partnership depends on honest, open communication. Rather than complain to your friends, family and colleagues about your partner’s inability to manage money, your sexual dissatisfaction or your disappointment in him or her, try talking to your partner directly. Hiding your true feelings from your partner will only lead to walls being built between you in the long term. Your partner is not a mind reader, and neither are you, talking honestly about difficult issues is an essential part of a    successful relationship.

Mistake #7: Moving Too Fast

Most of us have been there, you meet someone, there is an immediate attraction and you want to jump right into love, sex and the planning the rest of your life with the seemingly perfect person you’ve just recently gotten involved with. It’s important to slow down. Once that intense, initial attraction fades, if you have gone full speed ahead, you may find yourself in over your head. Take your time to really get to know the ins and outs of the other person’s personality, their habits, their likes and dislikes and evaluate what you have in common. You will be grateful that you took the extra time down the road.

Mistake #8: Taking Your Partner For Granted

As relationships progress, it can be easy to fall into the habit of forgetting to appreciate the things about your partner that you once found so extraordinary and attractive and simply taking them for granted. It’s important to express your gratitude to your partner for the role he or she plays in your life and to take the time to remember that this person has chosen to be part of a couple with you as you have with them, nothing requires him or her to stay in the absence of being appreciated for the person that he or she is and what they do for your relationship.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you have experienced  a form of cheating behavior from your significant other in the past, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Tell me more in the comments below.  Any links to other posts, images, or videos will be deleted as they can come across as spammy