What if I told you there was a simple way to help ensure the future happiness of both you and your partner? What if I told you it would only take a few minutes a day and is as easy as saying two sentences? The next time your significant other comes home, try these steps:
1. Put down whatever you may be doing.
2. Walk to the door.
3. Hug them (really mean it; don't just go through the motions)
4. Say, "Welcome home, my <insert term of affection>!" (If you are at a loss, try: love, dear, wife, husband, life, etc.. Remember to use a positive term; heinous money sink probably won't produce the desired result.)
5. Ask how their day was.
Now for the hard part:
6. Listen to what they tell you.
7. Determine if they have had a good day.
7a. If they have had a bad day, listen to what made it bad. Do not act yet.
7b. Once they have told you why they had a bad day, listen more.
7c. Keep listening until they have really finished.
7d. Now, ask if there is anything you can do to improve their day.
7e. If they give you something to do, do it properly.
8. Repeat this daily.
Now, some notes about the above. If you are in the middle of something that you can not put down immediately, welcome them home, let them know where you are and what is keeping you. Once it is safe to do so, put down whatever you were working on, then follow the steps. Finally, only let it stop you if it would be unsafe to put it down. If it's the middle of a football game, buy a DVR and pause it. Your significant other will appreciate the attention more than your team.
If you follow these steps, you may just find they are happier and willing to even let you return to things you were doing. They may not even hate sports/nascar/hunting/hairstyling or whatever else it is you want to do. They just need to know you value them above your hobby or project.
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