Growing together makes walking together easier.
What does it mean to grow together in this context?

It means having a pre-determined end in view where individual interests and plans are considered. Beyond having those interests and plans written, you have them put in the form of timelines and also put in actionable format.

Someone might want to ask; what makes up these interests? Well, it should be a combination of your career, family, physical, social and personal life goals.

When you grow in your skills or career, your perspectives are broadened. Widen perspectives go a long way in determining how you see and deal with situations in life.
If one party is growing and the other isn’t, there is the tendency to start having clashes of views or opinions become more and more varied from each other.
It is therefore essential for parties in relationships to pay attention to work at growing together.
My wife and I have traits. One of those critical traits is “Continuous Improvement.” We constantly stretch to be better. The more you stretch, the more mature you become. The more mature you are able to handle difficult challenges, the more the opportunities that come your way.

What happens when parties in a relationship grow apart?

1. It can make both parties frustrated. The one growing will be wondering why the partner is not seeing the need to stretch. Meanwhile, the other party will be wondering why his or her partner is making life too difficult.
2. It can sometimes create disunity in the relationship. If agreements are difficult to reach, it can get to the point where either or both parties decides to create individual world within the same home. You can find a situation where the party growing would simply leave the other person to be and decides to move on. The other partner however might become more complacent, feels timid, loses a sense of value or intimidated.
3. If not managed well, it can lead to separation in a relationship. If there is prolonged state of things in point 2, there will be prolonged discouragement. If this still persists without professional intervention, the people involved might just decide to go their separate ways.

How Can Parties Make Working Together Successful?

1. Have a unified end picture. Each person have a goal in life which forms each person’s end picture. Both parties should strive to appreciate that picture and see how the two pictures can come into alignment. Until alignment takes place, unending frustrations will be inevitable.
2. Value each other as asset. The worth of a thing to you will be seen in how you care for it. How valuable your partner is to you can be seen by how much care and sacrifice you are willing to give that person.
3. Be considerate of each other. When you see each other as an asset, you will likely be very considerate about each other’s priorities. Make your partner’s priorities “YOUR” priorities, even when they not be among your own top three. If you make this happen, then your partner will see the relevance of his or her value at work.
4. Be humble to learn from each other. Learn to allow and make use of superior idea irrespective of who is bringing the idea. Make yourself vulnerable and be open enough to apologize in the event that you make mistakes.

We should therefore make growing together as an important task in our relationships.

You will experience bliss!