Let's be honest: relationships are hard. It doesn't matter whether they are in business or in your love life; we all want to be happy and successful in the end. I'm not sure how much logistics I'll actually take away from this class, but it turns out it has a few more real-life applications than I thought.

1. A well-structured plan that is closely monitored is key for ensuring results

It is so easy to lose sight of what you want out a relationship, and people are not always the best at communicating. If you only see a relationship lasting a couple weeks, months, or years, rather than being in it for the long haul, that is something that you need to let your partner know about. After college graduation, your friends and your significant other may have offers that lead them to the other side of the world and as a couple, you need to decide if that is something that you are willing to discuss. If there is no way you could ever be in a long-distance relationship, let them know as soon as you do. Your "plan" should be ever changing as your relationship grows, and you owe your partner to ensure you are on the same page.

2. Mistakes happen, but the problem is not learning from them

Everyone makes mistakes, and no two relationships are alike. There is no handbook for what mistakes are forgivable and which are not, but if you decide that your relationship is worth continuing, you have to be willing to learn from your mistakes. Whether it was your mistake or your partner, there is an opportunity for you to grow from it together. Most times, mistakes in a relationship are not one-sided and could have partially, if not totally, been avoided if people were open and honest from the start. Whether that lesson is just learning to communicate better or learning what your partner likes or doesn't like, you can grow a lot.

3. Visibility is key to building trust

The reality is that everyone has their insecurities in a relationship; whether it be from a past relationship or personal doubts, it takes a total of two seconds for your mind to wander. It seems at this stage in the game everyone has had a significant other cheat or lie to them, and it's no wonder that we have our walls built up. You can't have a relationship without trust. If you're not ready to trust someone again, it is as simple as not going into a relationship because it is simply not fair to you or the other person. Be completely transparent with your partner, and show them that they have no reason to doubt. There should obviously be privacy in a relationship, but if you constantly find yourself hiding things from your partner, that's probably not a good sign.

4. Most have a lot more in common than they think

Even if you're a big believer in the "opposites attract" mantra, there is no way for your relationship to progress if you have absolutely nothing in common. Picking a fight out of every single event might be a good hint that you need to sit down and talk about whether or not this relationship is worth it. If you decide that this is what you want, you absolutely need to take the time to find a common ground for your biggest challenges. We're all working on ourselves, or at least we should be, and you need to understand that your partner may need to take time for themselves. Believe it or not, you do not need to see each other every hour of the day. That time apart can be beneficial for both of you.

5. You must be willing to look at things differently

We are SO stubborn. We get stuck in our own way and fail to realize the consequences of our lack of flexibility. You have to be willing to compromise with people because no one wants to be in a relationship where things are only one way all the time. Not everything is going to be perfect all the time, but you will never get anywhere if you aren't willing to compromise. You and your partner are not going to see eye to eye on everything, and it is so important that you try your very best see to see the situation from their opinion too and hear them out.

The greatest take away that I've had is to just communicate. Let people know what you like and what you don't like because they have no other way of knowing if you don't tell them. Establish what you want and maybe you'll have a successful relationship and business partnership.