Everybody wants to love and be loved in return. In fact, looking for love is so embedded into our beings that searching for ‘the one’ can feel like an overwhelming sometimes even impossible task. It’s a lot of trial and error and a lot of challenges but being in love is the greatest feeling in the world and finding it makes all the hurdles you have been through worth it. However even when you find the person you plan on spending the rest of your life with doesn’t mean that your life is suddenly all sunshine and hand holding. Being in love takes sacrifice, commitment, trust and compromise, it’s hard work every day – but it’s undeniably worth it when you’ve found the right person, the other half that makes you whole.
Life is full of challenges, of ups and downs, the ebb and flow is inevitable so you want someone who is going to be able to stick it out with you not just when things are going good but also when things are tough. There will be a lot of obstacles throughout your relationship together both expected and hidden, obstacles both big and small, internal as well as external. Getting through tough times makes your relationship stronger, as much as we like to avoid turbulence we sometimes need a rocky road to appreciate the smooth one. We need to know that the person we love most in the world will stand by our side no matter what, through thick and thin.
There are some everyday test that you can put yourself and your significant other through to see if you’re compatible in even the toughest of places. Test that may not seem like test or difficulties but show a greater insight into who your partner is and whether you can look to the future with confidence knowing that there is a possible sustainable future for the two of you.
20 Questions
This may seem obvious but if your relationship is fairly new this is the perfect game to find out a little more about them – usually with no holding back on the type of question you wish to ask. While you certainly don’t need to be two of the same kind, you do need to be like minded. Share the same values and interest. The questions asked should be – light hearted but also give insight into the morality of your partner.
Questions such as:
- Would you ever relocate?
- Is having Kids in the cards for you one day?
- What is something you’re glad you never have to do again?
- What is the thing you procrastinate most on?
- What is your worst pet peeve?
- Do you believe there is anything unforgivable?
- Introvert or extrovert?
- What does your perfect day look like?
- Do you follow your head or your heart?
- When was the last time you cried?
- What is something that never ends well?
- What’s your favourite way to unwind?
The Road Trip
Road trips are amazing indicators of a couple’s compatibility. They sound like an idyllic experience but in fact spending hour and hours of idle time together is bound to work up feelings of anxiety, claustrophobia, irritability and impatience; when you’re in such a small space, so intimately together with not much to do it can take a toll on your mood. Can you compromise on music choices? How well do you navigate directions? How do you feel about getting lost? Can you detour? Who decides when to stop? What if you need the bathroom? What if you don’t pick the right snacks? How you copilot your road trip is an indication of how you will copilot life together.
Here is a head start to curate the perfect road trip playlist:
- Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
- “Little Red Corvette” by Prince
- “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake
- “Road Trippin” Red Hot Chili Peppers
- “Fast Car” Tracy Chapman
- “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- “Dont Stop Believin” Journey
- “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads.
The End Game
This one is a very interesting test of compatibility. Playing an action packed, combat simulation game like Paintball, Airsoft or Laser Tag is the perfect way to see your significant others response to stressful situations, as well as gives you an insight into how your partner thinks strategically as well as tactically. It allows you to see a more action packed adventurous side of your partner and how they cope under stressful and somewhat dangerous situations.
The Weekend Away
This test indicates how you travel together as well as the compatibility of how it is to live together. Spending more the 24 hours just the two of you in the same home is bound to indicate how this person is to live with; are they messy, can they cook? Do they put the seat down? If things run smoothly, if your ideal ‘home life’ has similar values as one another; peace, relaxations, reflection, connection and cleanliness then you’re bound to know that living together will be simple because your idea of what home should be and feel like are similar.
The Weekend Apart
Some couples find it hard to be apart, as it opens the Pandora’s box of insecurities and while it’s important that your relationship is not codependent it is important to communicate these insecurities to each other. The idea of a weekend apart let’s all the scary insecurities come to the fold and it’s important to deal with them head and heart on. Don’t shy away from them. If you can manage the insecurities from a distance without them affecting your time and ability to enjoy your space, then you know that you can effectively communicate to one another despite the distance and despite the circumstances.
