When we got engaged (over 14 years ago), one of the most significant pieces of advice we received was protecting our marriage by having consistent date nights.
At the time, that sounded obvious, but as life would have it, we saw how easy it was to fall into the 'busy' trap.
We realized that with such demanding businesses, we needed more than date nights alone. We didn't want to only date once a week but intentionally tried to have more meaningful experiences today. At the time, date nights were the bare minimum for us. We would spend most of our time in business and then check off our date night once a week.
Meanwhile, our focus and energy were elsewhere…and that's not why we got married. We married to do life together and grow closer together (towards oneness), and once-a-week date nights were not the anecdote for us.
To be clear, we needed a roadmap for what we would share. However, we knew there had to be a better way to live together (outside of date nights and vacations).
This was when we developed the M.E.P. (Marriage Enrichment Plan).
A M.E.P. is a tool to center our marriage and build our businesses around it vs. competing with it. We know we are limited beings with limited capacity. Once our energy and time are gone, we want to feel good about where we invested it.
This is why a M.E.P. is so powerful to us. It is one of the Pillars of our Marriedpeneur Operating System. Ideally, we build out our M.E.P. for the year the previous year. Then we discuss other ventures and launches; everything works around it.
The M.E.P. comprises the initiatives and activities we employ to support our Marriedpreneur Vision Statement. When we are clear on our vision, we're clear on what steps must be taken to achieve it. (For example, one of our marriage pillars is fun, So we recently attended a Smokey Robinson concert at NJPAC to support that pillar)
One other critical routine we've implemented is to visit the M.E.P. regularly. We usually do this weekly but no less than monthly. This way, we can tweak and pivot as necessary to protect our priority: The Marriage (just so we're clear).
If you want a more intimate marriage and build powerfully in sync, we recommend implementing an M.E.P. and having routine legacy meetings to protect it throughout the year. If you need steps on what to cover in your legacy meetings, grab our checklist HERE.
We're rootin' for you!
Note: O.L. is a former banker turned real estate consultant and entrepreneur. Sway is a former C.E.O. of a staffing firm she started on her dorm room floor to pay for college. Together they co-own Marriedpreneur Life Consultancy, equipping married entrepreneur couples with high-level systems to scale without strain. They're the co-hosts of The Marriedprenuer Life.