7 Concrete Signs You Need A Man Who Puts In More Effort

One-sided relationships are never going to fulfill you. You need a partner who is willing to rise to your expectations, who puts in the work to make you happy, even if you’ve been dating for a while. Here are the signs you need a partner who puts in more effort because you aren’t getting what you deserve:

If you don’t do something, it’ll never get done.

If you don’t initiate a conversation, there won’t be a conversation. If you don’t plan a date, there won’t be a date. The list goes on. Basically, you are in charge of every aspect of the relationship. All the responsibilities fall on you, all the decisions, all the stress.

You’re always making compromises that benefit them.

Either you’re letting them get their way because it’s easier than fighting with them (or because you love them and want them to be happy). Either way, you never seem to end up with what you want. They always get the better end of the deal.

Your relationship exhausts you.

Sometimes, relationships can be hard work — but you shouldn’t be the only one putting in that work. If you feel exhausted every single day of your relationship because your partner isn’t contributing as much as you are, you’re in an unfair position. You need a partner who puts in more effort, who meets you halfway or who at least tries to meet you halfway. Intentions matter.

You feel like you have to spell everything out for them.

Communication is important in any relationship. You need to be open with your partner about what you want. However, you shouldn’t have to explain exactly how to treat you right. You shouldn’t have to spell out every little basic thing you expect them to do. The right person will instinctively treat you well.

You resent how little they do for you.

You feel like everything in your relationship is off-balance. Like you do so much more for them than they do for you. Not only are you doing the majority of the chores, but you’re taking on most of the emotional baggage. You’re the one carrying every conversation and making sure everything runs smoothly. You’re the one holding the relationship together.

You have to ask ten times before anything gets done.

Even when your partner does something nice to help you out, it’s usually because you’ve asked them more than once. They never listen the first time. You have to keep repeating yourself over and over again until it happens. By the time they actually follow through, it doesn’t even feel special anymore. It just feels like a relief.

You feel like there’s zero romance in the relationship.

Romance doesn’t have to be about getting expensive dinners and flowers and jewelry. It’s about feeling loved and valued and wanted. It’s about feeling like your partner is putting in the effort to woo you, to make you feel beautiful, to make you feel special. If this isn’t happening, there’s not enough effort on their end.