To anyone who have ever sustained a relationship past those first couple of months when everything is all bliss and bedroom, you will know that this honeymoon period doesn't last forever.
And while it can be a hard pill to swallow when you actually find out that no; your partner isn't 100% perfect in every little way, accepting and embracing this is pretty much the only way your relationship is ever going to survive in the long term.
And this is why you need to know about the 80/20 rule that is currently gathering a lot of attention for its power to predict how well your relationship will fare.
What is the 80/20, says you? Well, according to
Glamour magazine, it is a new way of thinking about your relationship that will help manage your expectations around it. Basically, it means that to work, your relationship needs to be mostly pretty great (like 80% of the time), while the rest of the time (20%), things might just feel alright. Get it?
It means that you may occasionally be irritated, you may have the odd tiff even (hey; we
all do), but you can let this slide because, for the most part, your relationship is solid. It's a balance, right?
This is what UK-based relationship expert Sloan Sheridan Williams had to say:
"Anything that encourages balance in a relationship is always a positive step forward. The key to a healthy relationship is to raise your standards and lower your expectations. Lowering your expectations for 20% of the relationship which will create enough flexibility to allow a relationship to continue and grow. Variety is one of the Six Human Needs. By effectively not getting your own way 20% of the time you potentially open yourself up to new experiences and might perhaps find something new you love."
What do YOU think? Does this make sense to you? Would you say your relationship is happy 80% of the time? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @Herfamilydotie
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(Feature image via Barefootblonde.com) 
