Make Life Dreams Come True: How to Support Your Partner

To develop plans that work for both of you, make sure that you explore all of your options and that the needs of both you and your partner are met.

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To develop plans that work for both of you, make sure that you explore all of your options and that the needs of both you and your partner are met.

To develop plans that work for both of you, make sure that you explore all of your options and that the needs of both you and your partner are met.

Your involvement in your partner’s life dreams can come in many different forms. Sometimes just listening to your partner’s dreams can be enough, but often it takes more involvement with your partner to help make their life dreams come true. Remember that this is a mutual process, with you and your partner each discussing and taking action together in pursuit of both of your dreams. Once you and your partner have come to understand what it is that you each desire and why these desires are important to you, you can begin to discuss how you can help each other achieve your dreams or to come to a compromise that you both can be satisfied with. 

Brainstorm some different ways to support your partner’s dreams. To develop plans that work for both of you, make sure that you explore all of your options and that the needs of both you and your partner are met.

Financially supporting your partner

If you feel uncomfortable participating in your partner’s life goal, or feel that their dreams are something that they need to accomplish on their own, you still may be in a position to provide monetary funds so that your partner can live out their dream. When having a conversation that includes this possibility, make sure that you discuss how this will work, if anything will have to be sacrificed, and how you can come to an agreement where you both feel comfortable with the outcomes. 

Providing moral or emotional support for your partner

Your partner’s life dream could be personal, and the only kind of support you can give is by being there for them, listening to them, and being a stable and loving presence in their life. A dream requiring this kind of support may be a spiritual journey, a goal to emotionally recover from past hurts, or a reflection on their life in order to reprioritize what is most important to them. 

Joining your partner in their life dream

The opportunity to be an active participant in your partner’s life dreams is a truly amazing opportunity to foster connections, find shared meaning, and create memories of trust, fondness, and appreciation. It is important that you and your partner live out dreams together as a team, providing support and love for each other in the significant moments of your lives. 

Providing logistical support for your partner

Another way that you can help your partner live out their dreams is to be their number one support system. This means contributing more to household chores, childcare, groceries, running errands, and helping with transportation. Often what is holding your partner back from living out their dreams are all of the commitments and responsibilities that take up their time. Relieving some of those duties, even the smallest of time commitments, can make an immense impact on their abilities to accomplish their life goals. 

Achieving your life dreams can be much more feasible with help of your partner. Often the process of pursuing your dreams with your partner will be more rewarding than the actual outcome. By working together, you will create memories along the way that will deepen the emotional connection in your relationship in ways you never thought possible. It is a very special thing to be able to make your partner’s dreams come true.

The Gottman Institute’s Editorial Team is composed of staff members who contribute to the Institute’s overall message. It is our mission to reach out to individuals, couples, and families in order to help create and maintain greater love and health in relationships.