People have been trying to discover the secrets to great personal relationships forever. You can find thousands of books on the topic and millions of articles online. 

But maybe it doesn’t need to be so complicated…

The checklist

• Recognize the benefits of nourishing personal relationships. 
  • In today’s world, personal relationships no longer have much direct practical value.
  • The real value lies in the effects of great relationships on health and happiness. 
• Be sure to prioritize quality over quantity.
  • You can get all the benefits from only a few great relationships. 
  • Poor relationships harm health and happiness. Average relationships dilute life. 
• Know a quality relationship when you see one.
  • Do you feel good when thinking of the other person?
  • Do you experience joy when they’re happy and discomfort when they’re sad?
  • Do you trust them completely?
• Keep your close relationships running smoothly.
  • Fill buckets (even if you don’t feel like it) and refuse to empty buckets (even if they deserve it). 
  • Avoid getting defensive to keep arguments rare and undramatic. 
  • Respect each other’s time to allow space for the rest of life. 

When people say relationships are complicated, they’re often recounting their experiences with maintaining troublesome relationships, possibly several of them at once. 

But a small number of healthy and respectful relationships can be delightfully simple. Getting yours to this point must be one of the smartest moves in life 🙂