Some couples end up in a real dating rut because they find a few of things to do that they like...and they keep doing them. Look, no matter how much

you might like a particular kind of food or movie, it’s gonna get old eventually. Something you can do to get out of this dating cycle is to have each

of you take turns planning the date. Put a condition on it that it can’t be something that you’ve done within the past two months. That should bring a bit

more excitement (and suspense) into your dating life. And since you only have to plan every other date, it takes some of the pressure off too.

New means “never done before”. When’s the last time you and yours have attempted that?! One sign of a truly healthy relationship is that you become a better person as

a direct result of being in it. If you’ve never gone on a wine tasting, listened to country music, zip-lined, gone glamping, taken a hip-hop dance class or

had a picnic indoors---what are you waiting for? Wouldn’t it be cool to look back at the end of this year and have a laundry list of new things you’ve

tried? You can if the two of you work on trying out some new things. (Click here for a list of suggestions.)

You might not have time to go on a long trip any time soon, but how about taking out a Saturday or Sunday to go on a day trip? It

could be to a little town up the road or a city that’s no more than four hours away. Hang out, walk around, check out the boutiques and eateries. It’s

a getaway without spending a ton of cash. And sometimes these kinds of dates make for the best memories.

We’re all for couples preserving some level of individuality even once they are in a relationship. For a lot of reasons, it’s a healthy thing to do. With that said,

we’re not saying that you have to spend every waking hour together. We’re just saying that if your man likes to fish and you’ve never been before, try it. And

if he’s never had a pedicure before, talk him into going with you once or twice. It’s another way to spend time together. It’s also a way to get to

know each other’s worlds more and better. And that can give you even more to talk about.

When’s the last time either one of you took each other completely by surprise? You know, like show up in a rental foreign luxury car for a date or had

a chef waiting when you came home to cook you both a meal? Spontaneity is something that never grows old. Be intentional about bringing some of that into your relationship.

If you both have something to look forward to, but you’re not exactly sure what that is, it can make for a really great dating life. For years and years

to come!