New relationships mean a whole lot of firsts. First kiss, first sleepover – you get it. You might not realize it in the beginning, but it is also the first time you will learn a few unique things about yourself. A new boyfriend or girlfriend means adding a new element to your life that will inevitably highlight certain things about yourself. So pay attention!
Your Red Lines – Everyone has got a list of deal-breakers, but the more relationships you are in and the more people you let into your life, the clearer your red lines become. When you expose yourself to more habits, neurosis, ideas etc. you learn a whole lot about what you can tolerate, and what just doesn’t work for you.
What Matters to You, About You – As you start to explain yourself to your new beau, you might notice that you tend to talk about certain things or highlight certain elements of yourself. In the process of describing yourself, you can learn so much about the things that really matter to you. Keep an eye out for some surprising discoveries, some things might matter more to you than you think.
Your Secrets – The flip side of learning new things about yourself, is also learning what you try to keep out of sight. Annoying habits? Real secrets? Whatever it is that you are reluctant to share says something about the skeletons in your closet. Think carefully about the things you really want to hide and why.
Time Management – With a new person in tow, you can get a better sense of how you really want to spend your time. You don’t have a groove or patterns in the relationship that you can fall into – everything is new. Take note of what you like and what you don’t. Was Netflix and chill just a fallback date with your old boyfriend or is it something you really enjoy?
The Sacrifices You Can Make – When you are already comfortable with someone, it’s easy to make sacrifices without even really noticing. You might be so used to certain things happening you don’t even realize it’s not what you really want. With a new person, you can test your limits and see what you are willing to do for someone else and what you can’t cut out.