It’s so hard to give up certain habits that have become ingrained from your years of being single and totally free, but sometimes it’s necessary if you want to have a strong and lasting relationship. While in most cases, you shouldn’t have to change just because you’re in a relationship, here are 10 things you shouldn’t mind giving up for a guy if he’s worth it:
- Your structured routine. Yoga, girls’ nights, Real Housewives marathons. These are the stuff that single girl dreams are made of. You don’t have to give up what you love just because you have a boyfriend now, but you do have to ease up on your routine a bit. Otherwise you’ll never have time to actually spend time with him, and what would be the point of that?
- Your refusal to forgive. Maybe your argument with a friend over a comment she made resulted in a full-blown friendship breakup. Maybe you can’t get over something your aunt did about a million years ago. If you’re in a relationship, though, you 100 percent need to be able to forgive. No one is perfect and your guy will make mistakes. That’s actually a good thing since you’re going to mess up sometimes, too.
- Your pop culture stubbornness. You never, under any circumstances, watch action movies. You won’t listen to rap. You won’t watch a TV show that isn’t on your To-Binge List. When you’re in a relationship, though, you definitely have to ease up on your preferences. Watch a James Bond movie once in a blue moon – it won’t kill you.
- Your future plans. You’ve probably realized this by now but life basically laughs when you think things are going to work out a certain way. Your relationship will be much happier if you let go of expectations and beliefs and let things unfold naturally.
- Your need to control everything. Everyone is pretty controlling – it’s hard not to be when life can feel so out of control sometimes. You can’t control your relationship or your boyfriend, though, or you’ll be single before you know it. Loosen up for the good of your health (and your love life).
- Your obsessively healthy ways. It’s awesome that you love kale and work out every day of the week. It’s not so awesome that you lecture your new guy on why he should give up pizza (probably not happening anytime soon) and refuse to go away for the weekend because you would miss your beloved yoga classes.
- Your love of the silent treatment. Unfortunately, ghosting has proven that silence is pretty awful but effective. Don’t ghost on your boyfriend – that’s not the greatest idea in the world. If you give the silent treatment when you’re fighting or don’t get your way, it’s time to give that up.
- Your hypocrisy. You’re all about seeing your best friends and yet when your boyfriend wants some bro time, you freak out. Kind of unfair, right?
- Your secrets. If you claim you want love – the real kind, not the fake movie kind – and yet refuse to tell your boyfriend anything about yourself or your past, that’s confusing. You have to be willing to dig deep and share.
- Your fear of love. Ultimately, you want love or you wouldn’t be entertaining the crazy dating world at all — who would put up with all the weirdness? You definitely need to let go of any fears you have when you meet someone that you really care about. Without saying goodbye to what you’re afraid of, you’ll never have the relationship you truly want – or truly deserve.
