Everything You Should Do Before You Settle Down!

Years ago, a woman’s only purpose was to find a nice husband, have some children, and then take care of them until they flew the nest. Luckily, times have drastically changed, and women across the world are being offered new and exciting opportunities so that they can better themselves and their life before they decide that it’s time to settle down and start a family. If you see marriage as something that’s in the near future, make sure you do these ten things before settling down.

Get An Education

There was a time that women weren’t allowed to learn or go to school, so you owe it to them and to yourself to educate yourself every single day. You can start by heading to college or university and pursuing a degree that you are interested in and think would better your career prospects. If you’ve finished college, or don’t think it’s the right fit for you, find other ways to learn, such as through blogs, podcasts, online classes, and books in your local library.

Live Alone

Living alone is scary, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a great opportunity to get to know yourself, what you like, what you dislike, and to learn some responsibility and independence. If you move from your parent’s house straight to your future spouse’s house, you will depend on people your entire life and will struggle to be alone or do things without the help of someone else. If you’re lucky, your married home life will be bliss, but you need to be comfortable being alone too.

Travel & Explore

There is so much that you can’t learn within the four walls of your home, so you have to get out there and explore the world. Visit all of the places that you want to visit, try different food, experience different cultures, and meet lots of new people along the way. Of course, you can take a vacation with a spouse too, but you’ll probably be really busy after you’ve got married, and might not have the time, not to mention the money.

Experiment With Your Style

Beauty and fashion are all about fun and experimentation, so make sure you get a load of this out of the way before settling down. Try out as many different haircuts for women as you possibly can, kill your hair off with packet hair dyes, and go through a panda eyeliner phase. Of course, you’ll make lots of horrific mistakes, but you’ll learn from them, and may find a makeup look, clothing style, or hairdo that you really love.

Make Friends

Boyfriends, girlfriends, finances, and spouses come and go; It’s sad, but it’s true. There is no guarantee that your relationship is going to last for the long term, despite how loved up you may be now. Friends, on the other hand, are going to be there with you through everything and will help you deal with it all, so make as many as you can, and strengthen your relationship with the ones that you’ve already got.

Pay Your Debts

If you can, try not to go into marriage with a mountain of debt. It can cause a strain on your relationship, even if your spouse was fully aware of it, which is the last thing that you need. Instead, take action and try to pay off your debt before you tie the knot. It probably won’t be easy, but it’s the responsible thing to do. If you need any help, you should contact a financial advisor.

Learn To Cook

Learning to cook for yourself is an essential part of being a grown-up, which is what you need to be if you’re thinking about getting married. You can’t survive on ready meals and takeaways for the rest of your life, and you definitely shouldn’t expect your partner to do all of the cooking. You can start with a few simple recipes at first, and slowly get more complex as you learn new skills. You’ll be putting Gordon Ramsey to shame in no time at all.

Face Your Fears

No one really wants to face their fears, but it’s a great thing to do if you want to grow as a person. Everyone’s fears are different, and some are easier to face than others, but if you can find a way to slowly face yours, then you will feel the benefits. For example, if you’re scared of spiders, dealing with this fear means that you don’t have to rely on other people to catch them when you spot one in your house.

Set Serious Goals

It’s important that you know where you want to be five, ten, or even fifteen years down the line. When do you want kids by? Do you plan on buying a house of your own? Where do you want your career to take you? Knowing these things will help to keep you motivated and focused, which means that your goals are more likely to come to pass. Marriage may alter these goals slightly, but it’s essential that you come to some sort of compromise with your spouse, or you could both end up unhappy.

Talk To Your Partner

Before deciding to get married, it’s important that you talk to your partner seriously about what your life is going to be like. For example, who is going to be doing what chores. This may seem like something insignificant, but it could cause argument later on, so it’s best to talk about it now. You also need to discuss children, finances, your careers, and much more. Discussing this early on will make sure that you’re on the same page later on.

Marriage is a big, life-altering event, and as such should be given a great deal of thought before you jump into it. You need to get to know yourself, better yourself, and be comfortable alone before agreeing to be with someone for the rest of your life. There’s nothing that you can do to ensure that your marriage will last, but the things listed above will give you a much better shot.