Long-Distance Relationship Goals

Many couples feel lost because they do not have specific goals for their long-distance relationship.

The main goal in a serious long-distance relationship is to move in together. To have a successful long-distance relationship, you need a plan to achieve this goal and a timeline of when you will move in to start living together. Throughout your long-distance relationship you will need to make smaller goals for your communication and visiting.

In this article, we will explore the importance of having goals for your long-distance relationship.

First, let’s have a reminder of what exactly is a long-distance relationship.

What Is a Long-Distance Relationship?

A long-distance relationship is a romantic relationship where a couple is temporarily separated by geographical distance. Romantic relationships need physical closeness. Without physical intimacy, the romantic relationship becomes a friendship. This is the reason why long-distance relationships aren’t meant to be long-term.

Couples in long-distance relationships can maintain an emotional connection through clear and effective communication via online means. But online communication is limited to verbal and written interaction.

Without seeing your partner face-to-face and having them in front of you, it’s harder to navigate your relationship. It’s more difficult to note more subtle changes in your partner’s behaviour.

Distance affects a relationship in many ways and without knowing how to handle the distance, you relationship can become a struggle. This guide will help you and your partner handle the distance the right way.

A lot of everyday communication happens through body language. In a long-distance relationship, you can’t see the body language of your partner, so you don’t get as much feedback about how they respond to you. Without this feedback, it’s hard to judge the state of your relationship and almost impossible to guess what they might be feeling.

Understanding is the very foundation of a healthy relationship. To reach a high degree of understanding in a long-distance relationship, you have to say everything you think and feel. You also have to check with your partner that they understood what you said in the way you intended.

Because of this different way of communication, long-distance relationships have a lot of misunderstandings and end up in unnecessary arguments. The longer your long-distance relationship lasts, the more chance these misunderstandings may fester and poison your relationship. Here is a guide to help you improve communication with your long-distance partner.

Doubts and insecurities are also widespread in a long-distance relationship and after some time can become an issue that can make your relationship toxic. At that point, you can either find a way to fix your issues, or you may have to end your relationship altogether.

Here is an article on the most common problems in a long-distance realationship.

To navigate your relationship and keep track of your issues as they arise, you should have a plan to manage it. Having specific goals can give you the reassurance you need to maintain a healthy long-distance relationship. Click here to learn more about what a long-distance relationship is and is not.

What Is a Long-Distance Relationship?

Setting Goals For a Long-Distance Relationship 

Setting goals for your long-distance relationship is an important part if you want to make it healthy and successful. Long-distance relationships tend to be full of doubts and have a lot of unknowns. Your feelings change all the time, and your circumstances may change as well.

Having a specific goal that both of you agree on can remind you of why you are going through a long-distance relationship period. In times of doubt, you can revisit your goals and decide if they are still important for you or have changed.

Having a long-distance relationship without a plan and specific goals, it’s like going on a trip without the destination.

To have a successful long-distance relationship, you have to know how to navigate it through different stages. To do that you need to have specific goals for your long-distance relationship and have a plan on how you’re going to achieve them.

Many couples don’t have a plan, and they treat their long-distance relationship as a typical relationship. Being in a romantic long-distance relationship can work for a short while, but it’s not going to work long term.

Should you need some help planning your long-distance relationship, here is a practical step by step guide on how to do it.

To set specific goals for your long-distance relationship you should:

• Know your personal goals.
• Know your relationship goals.
• Have a plan to achieve these goals.
• Have a timeline for when you will achieve your goals.

Let’s have a look at each one of them in more detail.

Setting Personal Goals in a Long-Distance Relationship

Before you set relationship goals as a couple, you need to be very clear on your personal goals. When you’re in a relationship, it’s easy to lose yourself to the relationship and forget what’s important for you personally.

Both you and your partner are individuals. Each of you has your own values, beliefs and preferences. Always remember what’s important for you so that you can take care of yourself. When both partners can take care of themselves, only then they can have a successful relationship.

How to Have a Successful Long-Distance Relationship

Some people look for relationships expecting their partner to fulfil their needs in ways that they should fulfil themselves. This creates an inherent expectation from your partner to fulfil your needs. Expectations create pressure, and pressure creates tension. Tension strains the relationship and gets in the way of harmony.

Throughout your life, you will have people who come and go, including your family. The only person that will always be there it’s you. When you know how to look after yourself, you can look after the person you’re with. The same goes for your partner. If one of you can’t or doesn’t know how to look after themselves, this job falls on the person you’re with.

A healthy and happy relationship is when you share your joy for life with your partner, rather than expecting them to bring joy into your life.

If you are having concerns about your long-distance relationship, here is a workbook to help you and your partner see how healthy your long-distance relationship really is.

To create a successful relationship with others, first of all, you need to create one with yourself.

The better you know yourself the clearer you can express your likes and dislikes to your partner. Instead of leaving them guessing how you feel and what you want.

Clear communication helps you have a better understanding of your relationship. This leaves less room for misunderstandings and arguments. It also frees up time and energy to enjoy your relationship instead of seeing it as a burden.

Setting Common Goals as a Couple in a Long-Distance Relationship

Once you’re clear on your personal goals and your partner is clear on theirs, you can discuss your thoughts and feelings about your relationship.

Clear and effective communication will make it a lot easier to discuss different aspects of your relationship. In a long-distance relationship, clear communication is even more important.

When you are starting a long-distance relationship you should discuss how long it will last and how often you can visit each other. These are the most fundamental goals you should have in the long-distance relationship if you are to make it successful.

There are seven stages of a long-distance relationship. Having a timeline can help you navigate through those stages. Having goals can keep you on the right track. Having a plan can reassure you that you know what’s going on in your relationship.

When you’re away you should have weekly recap sessions. During the sessions, you can discuss your thoughts and feelings to see if anything has changed in your circumstances. Feelings and circumstances change all the time, so it’s important that you share these changes with each other to see how they affect your long-distance relationship.

If you need help setting goals for your long-distance relationship, give this workbook a chance.

Do You Need a Plan for Your Long-Distance Relationship?

Many couples don’t have a plan for their long-distance relationship. When you don’t have a plan, the inevitable doubt about your long-distance relationship can throw you off course. If this happens, it can jeopardise your whole relationship.

You may love each other very much and have all the intentions of staying together. But when something goes wrong in a long-distance relationship, small things can very quickly become big issues. Having a plan and clear communication can help you deal with issues before they become problems. 

How to Plan a Long-Distance Relationship

When you make a plan for your long-distance relationship, you should focus on two main problems that can make your long-distance relationship hard: lack of physical intimacy and different ways of communicating.

Here’s how to make a long-distance relationship plan:

1. Prepare for a long-distance relationship by learning what it is and what are the common problems.
2. Address the issue of physical intimacy.
3. Recognise that you will have to maintain an emotional connection through effective communication.
4. Agree on the means and frequency of your communication.
5. Write down your plan.
6. Make notes about things you would like to bring up during your online conversations and during your visits. 
7. Set clear goals for your long-distance relationship and make a timeline for these goals.

Here are some questions that will help to get you started making a plan:

• Why are you in a long-distance relationship?
• How long is your long-distance relationship going to last? 
• How often would you like to see each other?
• How often will you be able to see each other?
• What are your preferred means of communication?
• How much time are you going to spend talking to each other between your visits?
• How will you bring up things that bother you?
• How will you resolve issues as they arise?

Here is a workbook to help you and your partner make a concrete plan for your relationship.

Long-Distance Relationship End Date

As we discussed earlier, a romantic long-distance relationship shouldn’t last for too long. That’s why one of your primary goals is to set a date to move in together. Once you know when you are expecting to be together, you can make a realistic plan to get you there.

While it’s important to have an end date for your long-distance relationship, it’s equally important to maintain your long-distance relationship healthy.

Long-distance relationships have their challenges. It’s nothing that you can’t handle with the right approach and a bit of planning. To give your long-distance relationship the best shot at working out, click here to access our most comprehensive article that covers all aspects of a long-distance relationship.

But things don’t always go according to plan. As you progress through your long-distance relationship, your feelings and circumstances can change. If that happens, you should discuss them with your partner right away.

If you find that your long does distance relationship isn’t working you should try to fix the issues that cause the problem. But if you’re not able to fix these issues, then it could be better to end your long-distance relationship before it becomes toxic.

Before you make any decisions, check out our complete guide to long-distance relationships.

Conclusion

Long-distance relationships can be a lot of fun. They are a great way to meet new people and maintain a relationship with your existing partner if you have to be away for some time. To have a successful long-distance relationship, you should know what it is and how long it can last.

Like any relationship, a long-distance relationship has its challenges. Challenges have the potential to turn into problems. Unresolved problems turn into struggles and can damage your long-distance relationship without you even knowing.

To help you get ahead, this article covers the most common problems in a long-distance relationship as well as some ideas on how to fix them.

Because of the nature of being physically away from your romantic partner, you can expect to feel emotional pressure, doubts, and sexual frustration.

Small issues that go unsaid can quickly grow into bigger problems which can destroy your relationship. If your relationship ends because it has run its course, that’s okay. But it’s a shame having to let go of someone you love and want to be with because of the lack of planning.

Spending a bit of time setting goals and planning your long-distance relationship can make the difference between a successful and happy relationship or losing one.

Here’s how you can set your goals and make a plan for your long-distance relationship:

• Setting personal goals.
• Talking to your partner about your personal goals.
• Setting relationship goals with your partner.
• Making a plan to achieve your goals while having a healthy long-distance relationship.

How Healthy Is Your Long-Distance Relationship?

If you are having doubts about your long-distance relationship and are not sure if you should try to fix it or let it go, here is our step by step guide to help you and your partner reassess your relationship and make an educated decision that works for both of you.

Relationship Coaching for Long-Distance Couples

Long-distance relationships are hard to maintain without knowing exactly what they involve.

However, once you understand what long-distance relationships are, what they are not and how to navigate them, you are a lot more likely to make it work.

We specialise in helping long-distance couples create and maintain a healthy relationship by building intimacy, trust and effective communication.

If you are starting a long-distance relationship or are already in one, send us a message to book an individual coaching session for yourself or a couples coaching session for you and your partner.

Frequently Asked Questions