7 habits of husbands that rock

Marriage is a lifelong commitment, but maintaining that commitment requires focus and effort. For a marriage to remain successful, loving and fulfilling, the relationship requires both partners to nurture it. 

Men might not readily see themselves as 'nurturers,' but husbands who make time to nurture their relationship even after 5, 10, or 20 years are likely to be rewarded with a strong marriage and a bride who nurtures them right back.

Ready to cultivate some winning habits, fellas?

Here are 7 husbandly habits that are worth developing to keep your marriage on track and your wife smiling.

With today's smartphones, it's more convenient than ever to schedule alerts about important dates. Anniversaries are milestones, so don't forget to set aside time to celebrate yours. Even a small gift will make your wife feel that she's still special to you. 

Of course, jewelry makes a fabulous gift too! You know high-quality cubic zirconia jewelry is our favorite.

Be sure you remember to celebrate other important occasions like her birthday and Valentine's Day too!

These days, both men and women work outside the house; yet, survey after survey still demonstrates that women do more at home. 

Division of housework can be a sore spot in a marriage if one partner is always left holding the broom. Don't make your wife come to resent you by failing to chip in and do your fair share of work around the home. 

You might even consider outsourcing some of her chores and yours, too: The case for couples to hire a housekeeper.

Whether you do laundry duty yourself or hire the help ... .all I’m saying is be a modern man and be sure that you pull your weight around the house. 

Oh yeah, and remember that things like making dinner and grocery shopping can also be quality time-- when you do these chores together. 

When you're both at home, make sure that you're present. 

Like my dude Alex Hitchens says “When you’re in the room, be in the room. Concentrate. Focus. Women respond when you respond to them.” 

The power of your presence doesn’t go away when you’re way past dating and into day-to-day marriage. But I’m sorry to tell you: the woman in your life needs your presence more to get the same kind of results you used to get with less quality time, guys. And just because you're both at home doesn't mean that the time you're spending together is quality time, either. 

Please….put down your cell phone and leave your work at work. 

If you’ve gotta do it in a calendar or not at all, man up and schedule that quality time. 

The QT with your precious 100% presence is the only way you can show her that it's a priority for you. You can’t tell her. You’ve got to be real, be there with her, and be committed to tuning out other distractions during this special time for the two of you.

Hold your wife's hand when you're out taking a walk. 

Bring her a cup of tea before she thinks to ask or make herself one. 

Small, sweet gestures feel great-- often even better than grand gestures. 

It might seem old-fashioned, but women still like to be surprised with flowers for absolutely no reason-- except that you saw them and thought of her.

Let “just because” be your weekly watchword at least once. Think of something sweet and do it-- for no other reason than that you wanted to see her smile.

It goes without saying that sometimes topics of conversation are going to come up that aren't especially interesting for you. You can be a better husband when you listen to her anyway. Hey maybe the conversational topic doesn't excite your interest, but she definitely does. 

So if she's complaining about a coworker or recounting lunch with a friend, all you gotta do to get major points is just listen. One mouth, two ears brother.

It costs nothing from your wallet and little from your time bank. Yet for the little effort required, the return on time invested can be considerable. 

That’s because when you listen actively, attentively and with a desire to make her feel important….it’s often going to accomplish exactly that. And a wife who feels important is a chick who won’t soon forget how you fill her emotional tank.

She wants to learn how to ballroom dance? Maybe she wants to go back to school. Whenever she sets new goals for herself, a husband that’s worth having will be supportive. 

Life is about growing and trying new things. 

A husband that rocks will help her to achieve her goals--not hold her back. 

When she's struggling with something, those are the times she really needs the support of her husband. Let her know you’re there to advise or simply comfort her. And yeah, that doesn’t have to mean solving problems, either. Listening can accomplish wonders. 

We can all experience bad moods, but men-- especially those with a strong frame like my husband Mr. Cubic Zirconia-- need to be mindful about the energy he brings into the home. A husband should be a leader in the family. 

And if he’s leading everyone down a rabbit hole of depression, negativity and complaining? Well, that’s no bueno.

If you're constantly bringing work stress home, verbally lashing out, moping around or acting like Grumpy McGrumpFace, it's gonna impact your home life gentlemen.

 Over time, letting your negative energies have too much free rein can even color your marriage brown and lifeless. 

Your spouse counts on you to bring positivity, persistence and good cheer to your shared home life. All energy is contagious, okay? If you’re gonna pass it on, let it be POSITIVE ENERGY.

Tell us what you think! 

Do you have another habit in mind that you think husbands should have? 

Write it down in the comments. 

We're thinking about presenting surprise gifts to 1-2 lucky commenters!

Mrs. Cubic Zirconia