All people have goals that, to a greater or lesser extent, give meaning to our lives. Building a family, getting a promotion at work or traveling the world may be some of those personal desires. A study published in the International Journal of Applied Psychology has investigated the hypothesis that greater support from loved ones, specifically from the partner, increases the chances of meeting these objectives.
The research led by Orsolya Rosta-Filep and his colleagues assumes that the most successful couples when it comes to meeting their life goals are those in which both members align their available resources for such purposes. This process is called ‘goal coordination’ and serves to strengthen the relationship. If a person feels that he is progressing in her projects, he will help his partner to advance in his, in a kind of virtuous circle.
According to the specialized media Psypost, the investigation included a sample of 215 couples. The participants, residents of Hungary, had an average age of 40 and had been together for an average of 17. As part of the examination, each of the subjects wrote a list of life projects. Next, the participants evaluated the degree of communication of such objectives towards their partner and the cooperation strategies put into practice, as well as the level of perceived support.
A year later, the researchers distributed another questionnaire asking participants about their progress toward those goals. The couples also evaluated their level of satisfaction, both within the couple and in life in general, during both phases of the study.
The research results revealed that couples who coordinate on their projects are more likely to achieve them and are more satisfied with their lives. In addition, individuals whose partners achieved higher goals also reported satisfaction with their lives during both phases. Confirming the hypothesis of the academics, this study demonstrates the importance of the communication of individual interests and the unconditional support of the couple to achieve them.
However, this analysis also concludes that the coordination between both members of the couple must be effective, since a greater effort does not by itself bring more satisfaction. On the other hand, if the strategies are fruitful, both the perseverance in achieving one’s own objectives and the alignment of resources to support the spouse’s objectives will remain stable in the long term.
