10 Day Marriage Challenge

Marriage is a relationship that takes daily intention. If it is not upheld as a priority, other things will quickly take precedence, and it can happen without us even realizing it. I came across this 10 Day Marriage Challenge on The Vanilla Tulip blog, and it instantly caught my eye. Whether you are in a great place in your marriage, a not-so-great place, or somewhere in between, this challenge offers an opportunity for you to cultivate your union by listening to your spouse's mind and heart.  

The assignment is to spend an hour or so going over your nightly Top 10 (listed below) at a scheduled time, preferably when the house is quiet and you are winding down for the night. You can either write your answers down right before you meet or throughout the day.  But they need to be completed before the scheduled time. You may think your spouse already knows these things about you (or visa versa), but do it anyway because the answers can be both surprising and humbling!

Day 1- What are your Top 10 favorite characteristics about one another? Why? (wife writes 10 for her husband. And the husband will write 10 for his wife)

Day 2- What are your Top 10 favorite characteristics about yourself? Why? (Wife writes about herself. Husband writes about himself)

Day 3- Where are 10 places you have never been to but would love to go? Why? (again, these are individual lists.  You each write your own)

Day 4- What are 10 of your biggest pet peeves? Why? (in general, not necessarily with one another)

Day 5- What are your 10 things you hope your kids learn from you? Why? (If you don't have kids, discuss 10 things you want your nieces/nephews or other children who you know to learn from you).  

Day 6- If you won $100k tomorrow... what 10 things would you buy yourself? Why? (you cannot save it or spend it on anyone else. You MUST spend it all on yourself)

Day 7- What are 10 things that you would like to improve on personally? Why?

Day 8- If you could invite 10 people to dinner, alive or dead, who would they be? Why?

Day 9- What are 10 things that your spouse can do for you, or does for you, that you really value/appreciate? 

Day 10- ***Do this one over a date-night dinner***  What 10 things do you want to accomplish in the next year? Do this list together and once you are done talking about it and putting the list together, put it in an envelope and store it.  Then make a point to open it in a year!