They might be your beloved other half, but they might also be the flesh and bones equivalent of the ol’ ball and chain; a deep-sea anchor putting a stop to your journey into the giddy realms of success.
Unsure as to whether your significant other is holding you back? We’ve come up with a few key indicators that will sort the worthy suitors from the downright embarrassing, helping you wade through the murky waters of indecision towards a clearer mindset.
Ambition
Or more specifically, the lack of it. You’re a high achiever operating at optimal efficiency, intent on making it in the big leagues. Still, you’re tangled up with a lass or lad whose idea of achievement is becoming a micro-influencer — they’ve been “finding themselves” in Byron for almost four years. Sound familiar? Playing house with this personality type isn’t going to help you rise to the top; you’re much more likely to find yourself meandering down the path to mediocrity — and picking up the bill — instead.
Upkeep
Whatever David Harbour lacked in polish, he made up for with Lily Allen’s enduring style and cool-girl energy. After all, there’s nothing like having an enigmatic partner on your arm to boost flailing popularity. Superficial but undeniably true. While we can’t all have a Lily in our lives (huge fumble), we can ditch the duds: shoddy grooming habits, a penchant for UGG boots (in public places), and an unhealthy affection for an old-school spray tan. After all, it’s a slippery slope, and flouncing about with what looks like a $2 hooker on your arm isn’t going to cut it, no matter how great their ‘personality’ is.
Humour
Sure, they can hold a conversation with your parents, but can they work a room? Being a drip with zero chat isn’t going to do you any favours out in the real world; if your partner is repelling your work colleagues with limp jokes and tense small talk, this reflects badly on you. At the other extreme, if they allow words to tumble out of them as if stricken with a bad case of verbal diarrhoea, you’ll be left trying to put a plug in it before they blurt out something embarrassing in front of clients or that senior partner that makes or breaks your fate at work. Save the Labrador energy for the bedroom.
Manners
“Manners maketh the man.” What we’re politely trying to convey is that a gracious and charming partner in crime will make the path to success a smooth one, while a sarcastic, rude accomplice will make it nigh impossible. If you’ve been gifted the latter, either lock ‘em up or give them the flick. We all know bad manners when we see them, whether it’s the wench shouting into her phone mid-dinner party or the drunkard singlehandedly cleaning up the bar tab, and shacking up with a repeat offender will do nothing but tarnish your glittering reputation.
