Relationship Advice: Treat It Like a Business
This post may ruffle a few feathers and cause a little disruption... so brace yourself. The reason you're unhappy with your boyfriend, husband, lover, honey, sweet thang or whatever you want to call him is because you aren't treating your relationship like a business.
I am happily in love and I can still tell you without flinching that being in love isn't enough. Read this post if you think I’m wrong.
Still not convinced? Look at Beyoncé and Jay Z. They are married with 3 children... they appear to be in love and yet they are both still growing their personal brands. I mean… they’re rich and famous yet still ambitious individuals. So, what is your excuse?
Now don't get it twisted, love is beautiful and even Biblical.
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
My point is your relationship isn't healthy because you aren't healthy sis. You are relying on him for everything...
You insist that he treats you better than you treat you. When is the last time you took yourself out? Bought yourself flowers? Called yourself beautiful?
I get it, you're busy. Welcome to adulthood. Keep scrolling to learn how to treat your relationship like a business.
Calculate your ROI, honey.
ROI means return on investment. What are you getting in return for your time, money and energy? Do you pay for every date? Buying new outfits for those dates? Get your hair and nails done? Dating when you could be studying or working? Texting and driving?
Think about it. How much are you invested into your relationship? What are you getting back?
Is your boyfriend encouraging you to build your brand? Buying you flowers? Sharing your blog posts? Going with you to events?
Does he care about what you do outside of what you do for him? Ouch, that one hurt. Let me say it again for homegirl with an attitude, "Does he care about what you do outside of what you do for him?"
And what about you? Do you care about him outside of him meeting your every need?
Ouch again. I am checking myself on this one. Sometimes I just want to do nothing with my boyfriend. Like just watch a movie and eat ice cream without worrying about our businesses. Then it hits me… or he reminds me that we aren’t like everyone else.
How much are you willing to sacrifice? Does your partner sacrifice for your relationship with you? To make it plain, "Is he with you shooting in the gym?"
Don't Leave Empty
Relationships are all fun and games until it's over and you're left empty. I don't mean with an empty stomach either to all my "Free dates, free gifts, free loading sisters with no goals."
I mean the type of empty that leaves you in a panic. The type of empty that makes you start a blog because your lying boyfriend finally leaves you for a freshman and you have more free time on your hands than you could fathom. #MyLife
The type of empty that makes you invest in your self because you finally realize it was a waste to invest in someone else without getting a return. (Calculate your ROI, sis.)
Sacrifice
Again, I'm not against relationships. I love being in a romantic relationship, I love my friends and my family, too. But I'm not willing to sacrifice myself for them. God made us relational beings. Relationships require give and take. I didn't say 50/50 because we are mere humans and could never calculate what half looks like.
Sis, I'm urging you to invest in relationships that give you a solid ROI. Not just dates, but laughter, trips, boat rides, fear conquering and so much more. I'm not just talking about dating a good man, I mean dating yourself... taking girls trips.
Sidenote: That movie was hilarious. I've seen it twice, make sure you go check it out!
As I end, I urge you to think more about where you are investing your time, resources and talent. If you are often left empty, lonely and unfilled it’s time to cut your losses.
Thank you for staying until the end! Please do me a favor and share this post with your girls. In the meantime, follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
Need More? Read these related posts.