Marriage takes time. Meaningful marriages take effort. Combine these two elements of a little time and effort into a meaningful ritual of quality time together. Doing so could potentially improve the quality of your marriage in just fifteen minutes a day. Just follow this three-step plan to creating meaningful daily ritual.

Stop

It is important create a couple ritual where you first stop whatever else you are doing and take time to JUST TO BE TOGETHER. This time together should be free from kids, work, and even the daily “To-do list”. An excellent time to STOP everything is shortly after you get home for the day. It can be as simple sitting down together on the couch and holding hands while facing each other.

Drop

Drop everything  other than each other. Drop the cell phones, laptops, t.v. remotes, and anything else that could serve as a distraction from your special time together. It also means that you ought to “drop” any agendas, or “hot topics”. This time together needs to be set aside with the purpose of connection. 

Listen

During this time that you set aside to talk as a couple, it is important that you are really listen to what the other person is saying. Most importantly, you need listen to understand how what they are sharing with you is affecting them, and their emotional world. When you listen, listen for ways that you can validate their experience, and offer empathy.

If you will take time each day to STOP, DROP, and LISTEN, and create a ritual of connection and listening, you and your spouse can draw closer in a meaningful way that will help you deepen your relationship.