Making your marriage work can be difficult, but there are ways you can make it easier. The following is a daily checklist of things you should do to make your marriage work:

Say “Good morning”: If you want to have a good marriage, you have to start with some compassion and love. You should start each day of your marriage out well. The best way to do this is to roll over in the morning and smile at your spouse and say “Good morning.” Even if you had a big fight the night before, start your morning off right.

Eat together: If you want to make sure your marriage works, spend time together, you can do this by eating meals together every day. So, whether you eat breakfast together so you can discuss your day, eat lunch together to reconnect part way through, or eat dinner together to recap the day and spend time with one another, eating a meal together is a great way to improve your marriage.

Plan for the day: If you want to make your marriage work it is good to include one another in your plans for the day. Each morning spend a few minutes to discuss where you will be and what you will be doing during the day. This is not to monitor each other, rather to inform and show each other you care.

Kiss goodbye: If you want to make your marriage work you have to stay connected in all ways, including physically. Touch, kiss, hug, and never let your spouse leave the house without giving them a kiss goodbye. If you always kiss goodbye, you will never let your marriage get so out of touch that it is going to fall apart completely.

Touch base during the day: Part of making marriage work is spending time together, and staying connected. When you date you can’t get enough of each other. So, how come when you get married you think going the whole day without a conversation is okay? Call each other during lunch breaks, text each other just to say hi, etc.

Be thoughtful: If you want to make your marriage work, then make sure that you make doing something thoughtful for your spouse a part of your daily checklist. Leave a note on the bathroom mirror, fix their favorite meal, send them a cute text, give them a back rub after a long day of work, etc.

Have real conversations: Your day is going to be busy, your responsibilities overwhelming at times, and there will be days you only have enough energy to discuss the things you have to, but if you want your marriage to work, be sure that you take time to talk about things other than the bills, your jobs, and your kids. Talk about culture, politics, beliefs, religion, or whatever else you want to, but spend time each day with the television off, and the conversation on.

Say “I love you.”: If you want your marriage to work, never go a day without uttering the words, “I love you.” Say it several times each day, and end every conversation, every goodbye, etc. with it. Say it as often as you can, say it randomly, say it as much as you can.