Why Our Marriage Deserves a Spot on the Calendar

“The point is not to calendarize life perfectly, but to return again and again to the decision to prioritize our time together.”

Last year I began reserving Sundays to handwrite my week’s schedule. Lately, I noticed the pages filling up with work commitments, kids’ activities, volunteer time, and plans with friends. What was missing was time with my husband. Despite better overall planning, I hadn’t actually scheduled time for us. And while I’m thankful for our routine of working out together most mornings, I realized we could do more.

That realization came into sharper focus after I participated in a Your Best Year 2026 Planning Workshop led by Michelle Gauthier. As I reflected on the year ahead, one area kept rising to the top: my relationship with my husband, Joe. Not because anything is broken, but because it matters. In a full and busy life, the things we value most do not always get the time and attention they deserve unless we decide, intentionally, to make space for them.

For a long time, I believed that strong relationships should flow naturally, that if connection mattered, it would simply happen in everyday life. What I have learned, especially in this season, is that connection often needs structure. Not rigid rules, but planned time so we can show up for one another.

As part of my goal setting, I landed on three simple commitments for the year ahead. They are not ambitious or complicated, but they are intentional.

First, weekly walks. This was inspired by some of my trainer friends who took weekly walks with their husbands throughout 2025. Nothing fancy. Just time to move our bodies, talk without distractions, and check in with each other. Some weeks the conversations might be light. Other weeks they might go deeper. The consistency is what matters.

Second, monthly dates paired with what I’m calling our Life Sync. This is a dedicated time to look at the month ahead, align calendars, do our financial review of the prior month, and chat about anything that needs attention. Giving this conversation a name has helped it feel less like a task and more like an act of care and a way to stay aligned. And pairing that with one date night a month will help protect time to have fun together. Most recently, we attended The Broadway Bash, a sing-along dance party to Broadway hits hosted by the fun and talented JJ Niemann. Beforehand, I worried I should have planned it with another showtune loving friend, but it turned out Joe and I both really enjoyed the experience together.

Third, quarterly trips. This is simply planned time away from daily responsibilities where we can reconnect and create shared memories. Having them on the calendar gives us something to look forward to and protects that time from getting crowded out.

What surprised me as I set these goals was how good it felt to put our relationship on the calendar. Instead of feeling transactional, it felt affirming. It reminded me that relationships thrive when we treat them with the same intention we give to our work, our health, and our other commitments. And we already know we won’t do it perfectly. Some weeks the walk may be shorter, some months the date might be simple, and some quarters the trip might shift. The point is not to calendarize life perfectly, but to return again and again to the decision to prioritize our time together.

If you are thinking about your own relationships, a simple place to start might be asking yourself one question: what small, repeatable moment could you put on the calendar that would help you feel more connected? It might be a walk, a shared meal, a check-in conversation, or something entirely your own.

This post is part of an ongoing series inspired by The Four Facets of Better Living: physical wellness, personal relationships, professional purpose, and prosperity habits. Personal progress often begins with intention. Sometimes that intention is as simple as protecting time for the people we love most. I’m announcing the upcoming spring retreat soon. If you’d like to be notified first, please fill out the Contact Me form.