Newlywed Tip #5: Cultivate Your Interests

Today's post is just a quick reminder not to fall into the trap that just because you're married, you have to do everything together! Some of you who have been married longer may not struggle with this, but from many newlyweds that I've seen (ourselves included), it's pretty common to want to do everything together. That's wonderful to have that kind of relationship where you enjoy spending time together doing little things... but today I'd like to remind you: cultivate the interests that make you you and that make you a more interesting person for your spouse to be around.

If you love reading & your spouse doesn't, still try to set aside at least a little time for this activity. Or, think of a book that could at least make your spouse appreciate why you like reading so much and introduce it to him/her. For example, I've recently picked up knitting again (it's been a while!) and J is reading a bit more. We love showing or telling each other about what we're doing - and it's so much fun to share in the other person's excitement!

I'd love to hear from you - how do you make this work in your marriage? Or do you have some long-lost hobby that you'd like to pick back up? Please share in the comments!