Almost everything in life has stages and even in relationships, there are also stages.
Many relationships pass through various stages till they get to the summit (marriage), while some relationships fall short at certain stages.
These are the major stages of a relationship you are likely to experience.
1. ATTRACTION/ACQUAINTANCE STAGE
This is the beginning stage of a relationship; at this stage, you recently enter the relationship and you are highly attracted to each other. It’s at this stage of the relationship you feel your partner is so perfect and you have many fantasies. I call it the acquaintance stage because it’s a stage where you are still trying to get acquainted with each other.
2. REALITY STAGE
It’s at this stage of the relationship you get to learn that the relationship isn’t all rosy as you first thought; you get to see the flaws in each other and you get to see the things you couldn’t see from afar.
At this stage of the relationship, reality steps in and you no longer see your partner as perfect.
3. THE WORK STAGE
Whoever said relationship doesn’t need work? The best of relationships are the ones where couples work things out with each other to have a successful relationship with each other.
Once reality steps in, work is highly required. Many relationships end after the attraction stage because when the reality of that relationship begins to dawn on them, it might not be what they expect.
At this third stage of the relationship, the couples try to work to make things better; this is where the fights and quarrels happen the most. It’s at this stage that couples break up and makeup the next day, it’s at this stage they try to build understanding and it’s at this stage that the love they professed to each other is fully tested.
4. STABILITY STAGE
Only few relationships make it out to this stage. It’s at the work stage you determine whether you can really make it with that partner or not. The work stage makes everything clear.
But if a relationship passes through that stage successfully, then the stability stage steps in. At this stage, there would still be those quarrels, but both partners have learnt how to handle them.
It’s at this stage that you feel love, understanding and connection to your partner.
5. THE COMMITMENT STAGE
After a relationship has passed through these four previous stages and still stands strong, this is where couples decide it’s time they take this relationship serious and take it to the next level.
Not every relationship makes it this far; it’s at this stage of the relationship partners have a vision for the future and are committed to that future. It’s at this stage you are sure of what you want and it’s at this stage you take that relationship further — did I hear you say wedding bells?
The problem with many relationships is that they bypass some important stages of the relationship and jump to the last stage. And another major problem of many relationships is that couples don’t read the signs shown in the third and fourth stage.
