The Millennial Guide To Relationships

Posted on by Christina Rasmuson

The Millennial Relationship Guide

As a millennial watching our parents relationships, we might not be well equipped to have a healthy lasting one. With divorce rates climbing, and parents fighting on a daily basis, we grew up watching all the mistakes they made. Because of this our generation is trying to break the cycle by marrying later and avoiding having kids too young. Real love has become our goal, but learning to establish that connection isn’t always simple.

Having someone to walk through the journey of life is satisfying. As human beings we crave company and thrive better in groups. In fact, isolation can drive us mad. We crave touch and intimacy from our loved ones. However, relationships are hard and don’t always last. For them to work they take a lot of communication and compromise from both parties. That being said, they are totally worth it.   Here are five things that are must haves in a relationship today.

Chemistry

A relationship can’t be started between two people until they both feel a connection. This doesn’t always happen at first sight, as some modern day love stories will have us believe. They take work and patience. This means you might need to go on a few dates to get to know them, or try becoming friends first. Most people will know if there is a connection pretty early on after having talked for a bit.

Love and Understanding

Once you have an established relationship, learning how to understand what they need and how they love is important. Coming from different backgrounds, we all have different traumas we have suffered and have learned how to love differently. Understand that your partner isn’t going to always act or say things in a way that you like.

Patience

This isn’t always that simple. As human beings we get frustrated and lash out on occasion. Living with a partner can make it worse. Maybe you are sick of having to do all the chores, or they don’t put the cereal back in the right cabinet. Fights are inevitable, but remember; you and your partner are a team and shouldn’t be fighting against each other. Learn how to open a line of communication about why you are frustrated and how you two can fix it.

Trust

An important step in building the relationship is learning to trust. You shouldn’t be going through their phone, or getting upset when they want to spend time with their friends. While it’s important to let them know your feelings, be aware if those feelings are valid. Unless you have absolute proof that they are cheating, learn that jealousy is more of an issue you need to work on rather than expecting them to only give you attention.  If you are feeling neglected, let them know. No one person loves in the say way. We need to let our partners know what we need from them to feel secure in the relationship.

Compromise, Compromise, Compromise

You are never going to see eye-to-eye on every little aspect of the relationship. This means that both parties need to be willing to compromise to find a middle ground. To do this, communication is vital. Come up with a set of rules, for example, if you can’t decide on a movies, then one person picks the movie one day and the next time the other person gets to choose. Or find a solution that will suit both your desires and needs. If you want to see a movie that your partner will absolutely hate, then go see it with your friends. You may not always get your way, but there is a give and take that comes with being in a relationship.

Relationships are about finding someone who can see deeper into you than you see in yourself. They don’t just see what you are now; they see you for all your potential. To have a healthy relationship as a millennial, we must all learn how to compromise and take time to establish a healthy relationship. Seeing your partner’s perspective, as well as your own will help you see that it’s not about being right or wrong, it’s about coming together to solve issues. At the end of the day you decide if the relationship is something you can see lasting for the proverbial forever.

The Importance Of Intentional Listening

Posted on by Christina Rasmuson

It’s not hard for anyone to understand the desire to want to not only be heard, but understood as well. In a society where multitasking is at an all-time high, sometimes focusing on listening can take a back seat. In fact today is seems like most people are more intent on responding, than listening. Whether you are a salesperson trying to get a big client, or a manager listening to the needs of an employee, intentional listening is an essential key to success. Here are is why intentional listening is important.

Listen To Understand

Most people listen with the intent of responding. Intentional listening is when you listen to understand. This type of listening can be vital in all aspects of life, business being a big one. There are a number of ways intentional listening can make a business run more efficiently, therefore increasing revenue. For example, when you utilize intentional listening when speaking to a potential client, you get a better understanding of their wants and needs, which can make it easier to explain why your product would be best for them. When your customers feel that you understand them and their needs, they are more likely to stick around.

Creates A Longer Relationship With Clients

Building and maintaining a reputation with your clients through listening, is beneficial to you in the long run. Not only do you keep a long term client, but it opens you to more business through referrals. A single client can make or break your reputation. Intentional listening can help you reduce the possibility of conflict and treat the clients how they expect to be treated.

Show You Care

Another importance of intentional listening in business is when it comes to your employees. Happy employees, make for more effective employees. Keep them happy and your business will run smoother. When you listen to what they have to say, you not only show them you care about their needs and desires, you can better understand what they want to gain from working there. With your help, you can help them develop a plan to succeed that helps both them and the business in the long run.

Build Trust

A vital component for intentional listening is developing trust. This trust is what keeps your clients and employees happy. When they trust that you have their best interests in mind they are more likely to stick around. Building trust among your employees will help motivate them to do the best work possible.

Multitasking, while is seems like an effective way to get more things down at once, often leads to you taking longer to get things done. The human brain cannot actively do multiple things at once without sacrificing efficiency. If you are listening to someone speak, while also checking your emails on your phone, not only are you being disrespectful to the person you are supposed to be listening to, you are not intentionally listening to what they have to say. When you aren’t listening to them, you miss the actual message they are giving you. You can’t be an effective leader if you don’t listen to what your clients or employees are saying. If you wish to have a constructive conversation, consider leaving the multitasking for another time.

Next time you have a conversation with an employee or client; try listening to them in order to understand what it is they want. When you utilize intentional listening, you are more capable of making them happy and moving towards a more mutually beneficial arrangement. Listening should never just be about waiting for a chance to respond. Actively listening to understand helps build positive conversations and relationships between employees and clients.