13+ Key Secrets to Successful Relationships

How many times have you shed a tear or two being touched by reading a story or watching a movie about everlasting love?

Or maybe you have been moved and felt admiration after spending time with friends who are in the long term, loving, and successful relationships?

Everyone you ask will tell you that what they want most is to fall head over heels with someone and stay in love forever.

In many situations, people are fully aware that their marriage is falling apart.

At the same time, they feel they have no choice but to stay together because of housing and financial issues, children, etc.

Undeniably, people who decide to form a marriage love each other tremendously.

It turns out when life happens, love alone isn’t enough for them to stay together.

They are also the reason why many experts are tirelessly working to investigate and understand the patterns of behavior and characteristics of individuals in enjoyable relationships.

After discussing with various psychologists and experts, as well as researching some valuable sources, here are some tips and advice to help you build and maintain desirable relationships.

So What are the Secrets to Successful Relationships?

Woman sitting back man

If you think it’s definitely not love, what’s the math behind a successful relationship?

It’s quite critical to point out that love is undoubtedly one of the most crucial traits of a successful relationship.

But it is hardly the only one.

What is the secret? Why do some people enjoy long-lasting and fulfilling relationships for decades, while others can’t seem to manage? What are the tricks some know but keep selfishly to themselves?

These are just some of the questions that trouble many others before the same they bother you now!

People love mysteries and secrets, and they look for them in everything, including love relationships.

Considering the times we live in and the hardships we are facing, seeing that someone is in a happy marriage or relationship seems surreal.

Therefore, many people think that there must be something they don’t know, some kind of secret recipe for happiness.

As we find this entertaining, we also chose to talk about secrets, although in all honesty, we don’t think there is anything mysterious about a successful love story.

In our opinion and based on the discussions with experts, besides love, of course, the key ingredients of successful relationships are work, commitment, and patience.

However, they are not the only ones as you will see when you go through these successful relationship tips.

1. First of All, Be Honest!

Honesty is one of the most valued characteristics of all kinds and especially love relationships. But as you probably know quite well, often it isn’t easy, to be honest.

Growing up, many of us learn that telling the truth about something isn’t always a good option.

If you have been scolded or criticized for being honest, you can be tempted to hide your mistakes or some things about yourself.

Keep in mind that you need to learn to trust your partner and tell things openly if you want to have successful relationships.

Keep in mind that this person loves you as much you love them and that they will be there for you even if you are building successful relationships.

That’s what tells successful relationships from affairs.

2. Be Affectionate

Couple in love

At the beginning of a relationship, we are usually fully vested.

For example, we leave messages on the pillow, we call our partner several times per day to say I love you and so on.

If we want to make sure to have successful long-distance relationships, we send million love messages, GIFs, stickers, etc. But as time goes by and we become more secure in love, many of us stop showing love and appreciation.

We become convinced somehow that partners know how much they mean to us and that there is no reason to repeat it every day.

But this is a misconception.

Whether you are in long-distance relationships or not, you must always find new ways and time to show your partner how much you love them and how special they are.

3. Recognize That You Are at Different Stages of Life

That is something more specific if you are thinking about ways to have successful relationships with age gaps.

Many people in relationships with much older or much younger partners face particular challenges that make it harder to maintain really admirable relationships. It may all be perfect at the beginning.

But as the relationship develops, you might run into different obstacles – both internal and external.

For example, people may see you as parent and child, especially when we are talking about successful 20-year gap relationships.

Or, maybe you have different ideas on how to spend the weekend.

For example, you want to enjoy a relaxing time, watching movies, and eating delicious food while your partner wants to go to three different parties.

Well, you have to recognize and accept that you are at different stages of life and that you don’t have the same needs and find ways to work through it.

4. Learn How to Admit Guilt

Guilt

Maybe one of the most confusing things is how people manage to have successful relationships after cheating.

Most of us think that cheating is something that cannot be forgiven. But in reality, many do forgive because making mistakes is part of being human.

Apologizing is one step towards making things better.

However, besides that, the cheating partner needs to know how to admit their fault. If that follows the apology, space can open to work on and develop successful relationships all over again.

5. Make Sure Both of You Have Some Space

When you are in love, you always want to be with that special someone.

However in reality, if you are spending 24 hours each day of the month, you will suffocate each other. Both of you must have space to do things that you enjoy independently from one another.

Talk Through the Conflicts

Thinking that because we are in love, conflicts won’t occur is pretty unrealistic. But one thing is to have a quarrel and yet another how we deal with it.

The most important thing is to find a way to talk during a conflict.

There are different ways to do this, from being affectionate to being direct, and they depend on the types of fights.

6. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask for Help

Many couples who manage to have a successful relationship don’t entirely do it on their own.

Sometimes, you may get stuck in some problems regardless of how much you love your partner and how good you feel in that relationship. They may be even minor, but if you think that you can’t find a solution, don’t hesitate to seek help from licensed counselors, etc.

7. Can a Relationship Work After Breakup?

Breakup

The short answer is – it depends!

Some people are wondering if it is possible to have successful relationships after a breakup!

There isn’t a very straightforward answer here.

Sometimes the break up is so hard that you don’t even think about it.

However, in other situations, if you manage to understand why a breakup happened and talk openly about it might happen, you succeed to work it through and build successful relationships.

Thinking about this makes us remember one of the very nice successful relationship quotes:

“Sometimes two people have to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together.”
– Anonymous

8. Build a Relationship Based on Respect

Some people say that respect is the top thing in everybody’s life.

True!

You don’t have to agree with everything that your partner thinks, though.

However, you have to show respect and listen to their opinions regardless of possibly thinking differently. That’s particularly important during a fight because it shows your partner that they can trust you.

9. Successful Polyamorous Relationship

Younger generations are starting to reject monogamy as a patriarchal concept and trying to find other ways of being in a relationship.

One of the emerging ideas is polyamory – having more than one intimate partner at a time.

How is it different from cheating?

Well, polyamory implies that all parties involved necessarily give informed consent for this kind of relationship. It’s possible to have successful polyamorous relationships if everyone is equally ready to make it work.

10. Stop Being So Jealous! 😈

Jealousy

Perhaps, the most important answer to the “How to succeed in relationships?” question is stop being jealous!

Seriously!

Although some people think that little jealousy can’t hurt, we recommend you to avoid being jealous.

If it appears, it usually means that we are insecure and that we don’t trust our partners.

But even if that happens, try to talk with them, otherwise, you will hurt their feelings.

11. Successful Relationship With Older Woman

One of the questions our readers asked is how to have successful older womanyounger man relationships.

The main thing here is that a man shows that he is a responsible adult capable of being in a committed and mature relationship. It is also essential to not insist on the age difference but to work and find ways to deal with it.

For more advice on dating older women, you can read this article on our website.

12. Accept Each Other Fully As You Are

Couple sleeping and touching noses

Bear in mind that you fell in love with a person and not your idea of what that person should be.

Therefore, don’t try to change the other one.

Keep in mind, that everyone has flaws and virtues and accept them with all they bring in relationships.

13. Spend More Time Together

Now, most of the people you ask will tell you that they spend enough time with their partners.

But is it true?

We are not talking here about the time you are going to spend sitting next to each other while you are thinking about work or staring at the TV.

We are talking about a real quality time which you dedicate to one another. It is one of the most crucial tips for successful relationships from the bachelor.

But How to Build Relationships with Someone Having Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder

When you or your partner have bipolar disorder relationships come with a whole new set of challenges.

The main issue here is that extreme changes in mood and behavior characterize this condition.

If a person is in a manic stage, they are full of energy, while the depressive phase is marked by extreme tiredness.

Suppose you want to have successful bipolar relationships.

In that case, it’s recommended to inform your partner about your condition and everything that may come with it so they knew what to expect.

Final Words

There isn’t much left for us to say but to emphasize that following these tips shows that you are on the right track towards healthy and successful relationships!

However, regardless of how much we all want it maintaining successful relationships isn’t all that simple.

The truth is that if a couple stays married doesn’t mean we are talking about a happy and successful relationship.

If you think you need help you can still get help from some psychologists.

Keep in mind that when you introduce openness and honesty, and you want to learn and develop, you’re creating a space for your relationship to last for a very long time.