The end-goal of this date is to come up with three tangible ways you can have fun together (or go on adventures) within the next two weeks. The book suggests holding this date somewhere you’ve never been before — make it spontaneous and adventurous!

Family - what do you consider to be your family? How will you maintain your relationship when you’re busy with kids if you intend to have some. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to share the same religious beliefs or anything like that — it’s more about finding shared meaning through life’s obstacles. Conversations & GoalsSo, as much as “small words, small gestures, and small acts” matter in a relationship, the plain and simple truth is that relationships are made of date nights. If you do not set aside time once a week to have a planned date night – or date afternoon or morning – with your loved one, then you’re setting yourself for a life of discontent and frustration. Before you each come together to discuss, think about how you think about trust and commitment in your relationship, and how you make each other feel safe and loved. You can jot it down on a piece of paper, so that when you come together, you can easily remember your thoughts and see if you each feel the same way, or if your ideas are different. Of course, these are not just simple, yes-and-no kinds of questions: open-ended by their very nature, these questions are invitations for longer, more intimate conversations that should “make you fall in love, or help you decide to make a long-term commitment, or keep you in love with the person you have chosen to spend your life with.” Unsurprisingly, the most important among these conversations revolve around the following eight topics: trust and commitment, conflict, sex, money, family, fun and adventure, growth and spirituality, and dreams.

Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile.Navigating the challenges of long-term commitment takes effort - and it just got simpler, with this empowering, step-by-step guide to communicating about the things that matter most to you and your partner. Drawing on 40 years of research from their world-famous Love Lab, Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman invite couples on eight fun, easy, and profoundly rewarding dates, each one focused on a make-or-break issue: trust, conflict, sex, money, family, adventure, spirituality, and dreams.