BG.T01-PRR — Pre-Reading Reflection: My Practical Readiness for Marriage

Purpose

This reflection tool helps you examine your current beliefs, attitudes and practices before beginning Practical Guidelines for Choosing and Becoming Marriage Material. It provides an opportunity to reflect on how you currently handle practical responsibilities, communication, accountability, financial stewardship and other day-to-day behaviours that influence success in marriage.

The Guide explores practical qualities that help people build stable, dependable and healthy marriage relationships. It also helps readers evaluate whether they are developing the habits and disciplines required for marriage readiness.

There are no right or wrong answers. The purpose is to establish a starting point for your learning journey and identify areas that may require attention as you prepare for marriage.

Part A: My Current Understanding of Practical Readiness

1. In your view, what does it mean to be practically ready for marriage?

2. Why do you think practical readiness is important in a marriage relationship?

3. What practical qualities do you believe are most important in a prospective marriage partner?

4. Which practical qualities do you believe are most important to develop in yourself?

Part B: Communication

5. How would you rate your communication skills in relationships?

☐ Very Strong

☐ Strong

☐ Moderate

☐ Weak

☐ Very Weak

Why?

6. How comfortable are you expressing your concerns, expectations and feelings directly?

☐ Very Comfortable

☐ Comfortable

☐ Somewhat Comfortable

☐ Uncomfortable

☐ Very Uncomfortable

Why?

7. How well do you listen to understand rather than simply respond?

8. What communication habit concerns you most about yourself?

Part C: Responsibility and Accountability

9. How would you rate your personal responsibility?

☐ Very Strong

☐ Strong

☐ Moderate

☐ Weak

☐ Very Weak

Why?

10. How reliable are you when you make commitments to other people?

☐ Very Reliable

☐ Reliable

☐ Somewhat Reliable

☐ Unreliable

☐ Very Unreliable

Why?

11. How do you normally respond when you make a mistake?

12. What responsibility or accountability habit concerns you most about yourself?

Part D: Financial Discipline

13. How would you rate your current level of financial discipline?

☐ Very Strong

☐ Strong

☐ Moderate

☐ Weak

☐ Very Weak

Why?

14. How consistently do you budget, save or plan for future financial obligations?

☐ Very Consistently

☐ Consistently

☐ Sometimes

☐ Rarely

☐ Never

Why?

15. What financial habit would you most like to strengthen?

16. What financial habit concerns you most as you think about marriage?

Part E: My Practical Habits and Lifestyle

17. How effectively do you manage your daily responsibilities?

☐ Very Effectively

☐ Effectively

☐ Moderately Effectively

☐ Ineffectively

☐ Very Ineffectively

Why?

18. What practical responsibility do you handle particularly well?

19. What practical responsibility do you most often postpone, avoid or struggle to complete?

20. What personal habit would most strengthen your future marriage relationship if improved?

Part F: My Current Position

21. Which area do you currently regard as your greatest strength?

☐ Communication

☐ Responsibility

☐ Accountability

☐ Financial Discipline

☐ Reliability

☐ Personal Organisation

Why?

22. Which area currently requires the greatest attention?

☐ Communication

☐ Responsibility

☐ Accountability

☐ Financial Discipline

☐ Reliability

☐ Personal Organisation

Why?

23. Which area would you most like this Guide to help you strengthen?

Part G: Looking Ahead

24. What concerns you most about preparing for marriage?

25. What concerns you most about managing responsibilities within marriage?

26. What concerns you most about financial stewardship within marriage?

27. What concerns you most about becoming marriage material?

Before I Begin

28. Complete the statement below.

The strongest aspect of my practical readiness for marriage is ____________________________________________________________.

29. Complete the statement below.

The aspect of my practical readiness for marriage that requires the greatest attention is ____________________________________________________________.

30. Complete the statement below.

The practical skill I most need to strengthen is ____________________________________________________________.

31. Complete the statement below.

The most important lesson I hope to gain from this Guide is ____________________________________________________________.

32. Complete the statement below.

The greatest practical obstacle to becoming marriage material is ____________________________________________________________.

33. Complete the statement below.

The clearest sign that a person is practically ready for marriage is ____________________________________________________________.

34. Complete the statement below.

The most important contribution I hope this Guide will make to my life is ____________________________________________________________.

35. Complete the statement below.

As I begin this Guide, I commit myself to ____________________________________________________________.