Let’s face it: change is a big part of life, and relationships are no exception. No matter how long you’ve been with someone, the reality is that the person you are with today is not exactly the same person they were when you first met them, and the same goes for you. Hopefully, the changes are positive and you’ve both evolved as people. But the truth is that change is always hard, and it’s not always an easy journey. There will likely be obstacles and road blocks that will put even the strongest relationships to the test. Change itself is not necessarily bad, it’s just typically very uncomfortable and most people don’t know how to respond properly. In fact, one could argue that if you and your partner can harness the power of change, it might even strengthen and take your relationship to new heights.

In this episode, we dive into the 5 stages of a relationship, how it progresses over time and some of the challenges partners face as the relationship matures. We also offer suggestions that have helped us in our relationship to stay happy as we continue to change and grow as individuals and as a couple. It’s never pretty nor perfect and it absolutely takes a ton of effort, but we argue that in the end if the result is a stronger, deeper and more meaningful relationship, then it’s 100% worth every bit of struggle and pain.

0:00 Intro

0:56 Welcome banter & big news

5:13 Start of topic

7:28 5 stages of a relationship

8:23 Stage 1: The Romance

10:57 Stage 2: The Power Struggle

16:58 Stage 3: Stability

22:41 Stage 4: Commitment

26:44 Stage 5: Bliss

28:50 How do couples stay happy

37:07 Dealing with change

40:50 Takeaways & lessons learned