3 Tips For Successfully Working With Your Spouse

For those of us who are married, I think we can all agree it takes a bit of work. Coexisting with another human isn’t easy, but adding a work life into the mix takes it to a whole new level. You have to balance work, family, romance, and the household all within the four walls of your home. 

If you are tackling this enormous task , then chances are you could use a bit of guidance, or just some encouragement knowing you aren’t alone!

Harold and I have been balancing work and marriage for over 6 years now, and while we aren’t experts, we have found there are some tricks to making this situation run smoothly. You are in luck, because I am going to share them with you today!!

1. Define Your Roles

This bit of advice applies to family life as well as work life. If both you and your spouse are working on the same tasks, you will have certain items overdone, and others forgotten.

We have found that there are specific tasks I enjoy doing and have a natural inclination towards. Harold is equally gifted in other areas. We divide the tasks that are necessary to complete and work through our list on a daily basis. Some of our bigger projects aren’t finished for weeks, months or even a year, but we know what we need to be working towards!

Of course, this system only works if we both stay in our lane. There have been times when I have wanted to take the reins from my hubby in certain areas. After all, certain tasks bring about more notoriety than others! I remind myself, and you may need to remind yourself as well, everything you do for your business is important. Don’t seek the spotlight. That is a good way to sow discord. 

2. Create Boundaries

Just like it is easy for work-life to slip into family time, work can also sneak its way into your marriage, and vice versa. I recommend creating hard boundaries around both. When you are working on work, keep the conversation and energy there.

Too often a couple drags their marital issues into the work environment. If that environment includes additional employees, it is that much more inappropriate. Not only do you need to present yourself as a united front, but work hours are not the time to discuss personal matters. 

The flip side is also true. You could easily spend the last 30 minutes of your day in bed with your spouse talking about work. It is difficult to preserve the relationship aspect of your marriage if you are spending sacred moments conversing about work. Guard your time as a couple or you will find yourself as coworkers rather than spouses!

3. Carve out Time for Romance

This leads us pretty organically to our final point. It is vital that you carve out time to keep the romance alive. Honestly, this is good advice regardless of working together. Life has a tendency to edge out any time you make to date your spouse. Add working together into the mix and there is even less time for one another. 

Date night is a must. Dress up, go out, book a sitter, and spend time together completely separate from work. Don’t discuss it over dinner and keep your (work) phones off the table. Use the time to fall in love with each other again and again. 

Romance has to extend past date night. Wok to speak each other’s love language on a daily basis. Plan getaways, write love notes, etc… Remember you are spouses first!

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point! Working with your spouse is an amazing privilege. I love that I spend more time with Harold than I ever did when we worked traditional jobs. 

We have learned that there are certain ways to protect our relationship, maintain the romance, and work together well. I hope you are able to take some time and evaluate how well you are balancing work and life with your spouse! If you need any help, you know where to find it! Don't hesitate to reach out!