Do you think being married is helpful to achieving success, or does it make success more challenging? Studies have shown that whom you marry has a huge impact on how successful you become in your career or vocational calling.

A spouse can be wonderful to have in your life, but nothing is absolute. There’s no doubt that the right person in your life can be a blessing. On the other hand, the wrong person, or seasons of rough times in marriage, can be distracting and the relationship could cause added stress that takes away from your vocational dreams and desires.

Consider how marriage influences your ability to be successful:

1. A marriage requires your time. The more time you spend on your marriage, the less time you have to spend on your career and goals. It’s just simple math. You might gain benefits in other areas to offset the amount of time you lose, and you might not. Just be aware of the time cost a marriage requires. And it DOES require sacrifice.
2. A marriage can provide emotional support. Being married ideally has emotional perks. You have someone to help you deal with failure, uncertainty, and stress. Life is hard, so it’s great when you have someone to share your challenges with.
   • This is a huge benefit that can definitely provide a foundation for greater success.
3. A marriage can provide financial support. A working spouse can help to pay the bills. This can free up other money that can be directed toward your business, training, and education. Having less financial pressure to deal with can also boost the likelihood of success.
   • A spouse with a great job can allow you to chase after your dreams with greater enthusiasm.
   • Understand that a spouse can also be a significant financial drain. Again, it depends on whom you choose to marry.
4. A thriving spouse will enhance your own success. A spouse who is content and even thriving in their own career or professional pursuits, regardless of how much financial support they offer, can help you become freer to chase your own goals and dreams. When others you are close to are doing well, especially your life partner, you inherently do well yourself. Success and relationships work like that.
   • Andy Stanley says, “Your friends will determine the quality and direction of your life.” If this is true, how much more can a thriving spouse help your success for the better?
5. A marriage can provide a second pair of hands. You can get more done with four hands than you can with two.
   • You can split the household chores. One person can pick up the kids while the other works. Your spouse can run errands while you plan your takeover of the world or write a report for work. Every little bit of help can make a difference.
6. A marriage can provide stability. Whether the stability is financial, emotional, or just that of a consistent routine, stability is a helpful platform for success.
7. A marriage requires compromise. Compromise can be a win-win for everyone! But a lot of times marriage looks like sacrifice or compromise that isn’t what you initially considered or wanted. If you decide that moving to Florida is the best thing you can do for your career, there’s going to be a challenge if your spouse doesn’t want to move.
   • Some highly motivated people prefer to live a very simple lifestyle in order to save time and money. Your spouse might require much more than this to be happy.
   • If you’re not married yet, consider your needs and the needs of any potential spouse. How much compromise will be required to for both of you to be happy, living the God-given goals and pursuits that you want to aim for?
8. A “bad” marriage, or simply marrying the wrong person, is a tremendous obstacle to manage. Marriage can become a chronic stress that can take the wind out of your sails. In this case, being married is detrimental to your success as it can add negative stress instead.
   • In these times you have to know who your tribe is. Who are the people in your life that you can lean on to help keep you focused on the basics and important things to re-build your marriage for the better and to keep on with your career goals and dreams.
   • If you are not married yet, consider if the stresses that come with marriage are going to be worth it. If you read the Bible at all consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians on staying single rather than getting married.

Blessing or not?

In the end, marriage is many times helpful to a persons’ success. But damaging and stressful marriage relationships can take away from your success. It really depends on you! What are you trying to accomplish and whom you decide to marry. A spouse can be a godsend and blessing or a major obstacle to creating the future you desire.

If you’re not married, consider your aspirations for the future and look for a partner that shares and supports your dreams as you support them with theirs. The support needed for success in marriage and vocations/callings go hand-in-hand and is a two-way street. Use wisdom before getting married!