The New Year brings motivation, pressure, excitement, anxiety, and reflection — and every Enneagram type experiences it differently. In this Enneagram Edition of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather walk through all nine Enneagram types and explain how each one approaches the New Year, where they tend to get stuck, and how their core motivations are intensified during this season.You’ll learn why some types feel energized by goals while others feel overwhelmed or behind, why resolutions work for some and backfire for others, and how trying to change behavior without understanding motivation often leads to frustration. This episode is not about fixing yourself or your spouse — it’s about awareness, compassion, and learning how to support each other well as you step into a new year together.Michael and Heather break down practical ways spouses can encourage one another based on personality wiring, offering language that affirms identity rather than performance, creates emotional safety, and strengthens connection. From the Type One’s inner critic, to the Type Two’s tendency to over-give, to the Type Three’s drive to achieve, to the Type Nine’s quiet tendency to disappear, this conversation helps couples see each other more clearly and love each other more intentionally.Rooted in faith and real-life experience, this episode reminds couples that growth is not about reinvention — it’s about alignment. When you understand how your spouse enters the year, you can move forward together with grace, patience, and unity instead of pressure and comparison.Join the Imperfectly Married Newsletter below to get your free download of our 2026 new year reflection worksheet:https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/Find us online:Website: https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/Merch: https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/storeInstagram: imperfectlymarried_thepodcast Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576918626044TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imperfectly_married

The New Year comes with a lot of pressure—new goals, big expectations, and the fear of falling short. But what if a strong marriage isn’t built on resolutions or quick fixes?Today we talk about how couples can use the New Year as a healthy reset—without perfection, shame, or unrealistic expectations. We explore how to reflect on the past year honestly, celebrate real progress, and identify patterns that no longer serve your marriage.You’ll hear practical ways to talk through what to leave behind, what to carry forward, and how to move toward growth together—one intentional step at a time. We also introduce the idea of choosing a shared “word of the year” for your marriage, giving you a simple anchor to guide decisions, communication, and conflict throughout the year.This conversation is about progress, not perfection. About choosing consistency over burnout. And about building a marriage that grows stronger in ordinary, everyday moments.Happy New Year—and here’s to growing forward together.

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Christmas with the in-laws can feel like a mix of twinkle lights, nostalgia, and quiet tension — and somehow you and your spouse are expected to keep the peace no matter what happens. In this Enneagram Edition of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather walk through how each of the nine Enneagram types uniquely experiences in-law dynamics during the holidays and how understanding those differences can protect your marriage instead of straining it.They break down what each type is secretly thinking when family stress shows up, how healthy versus challenging in-law relationships affect each personality, and practical ways to nurture your spouse based on their wiring. From the Type One trying to keep everything “right,” to the Type Two overextending to feel loved, to the Type Five hiding in the bathroom to recharge, to the Type Nine disappearing just to keep the peace — this episode helps you recognize patterns before they turn into conflict.You’ll also hear practical tools for every couple, including setting boundaries before gatherings, using code words when things feel overwhelming, checking in with your spouse before and after events, and debriefing together so future holidays feel safer and more connected. Rooted in faith, humor, and real-life experience, this conversation reminds couples that the Enneagram isn’t a limitation — it’s a map. And when you use it with grace and intentionality, even the most challenging in-law dynamics can become opportunities for unity, understanding, and growth.Find us online:Website: https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/Merch: https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/storeInstagram: imperfectlymarried_thepodcast Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576918626044TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imperfectly_married

The holidays bring family together — but they can also bring tension, unmet expectations, and pressure from in-laws that quietly strain a marriage. In this episode of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather talk through how to handle in-laws during the holidays with clarity, unity, and healthy boundaries that protect your relationship instead of dividing it.

They unpack why family dynamics feel more intense this time of year, how differences in traditions, communication styles, and expectations create conflict, and what happens when couples don’t talk through these issues ahead of time. You’ll learn how to have proactive conversations before gatherings, set boundaries that are loving but firm, support your spouse when family dynamics are difficult, and avoid the resentment that builds when one partner feels caught in the middle.

Rooted in faith and practical wisdom, this conversation reminds couples that boundaries aren’t about control or distance — they’re about protection. When spouses choose each other first and approach family situations as a team, the holidays can become a season of peace instead of pressure. If you want to enjoy time with extended family without sacrificing the health of your marriage, this episode will give you a clear, realistic framework to do just that.

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The holidays bring beauty, but they also bring stress — expectations, family dynamics, travel, finances, grief, and totally disrupted routines. In this Enneagram Edition of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather walk through how each of the nine Enneagram types uniquely experiences the holiday season and how understanding your wiring (and your spouse’s) can actually protect your marriage when things get busy and tense. Instead of assuming your spouse “should just handle it,” you’ll learn how core motivations, fears, and longings get amplified under holiday pressure and how that shows up in the way each type hosts, plans, spends, avoids, or over-functions.

You’ll also hear big-picture tools you can use no matter what your number is: pre-holiday “huddles” to talk through budget, expectations, travel, and traditions; mini check-ins before and during events so neither of you feels alone or blindsided; and rhythms of rest, intimacy, and faith that help you return to what the season is truly about. Rooted in their relationship with Jesus, Michael and Heather remind us that peace is a Person, not a perfect plan, and that grace is the greatest gift you can give each other this year. If you want this holiday season to draw you closer instead of tearing you apart, this episode will help you honor each other’s wiring, lower the stress, and protect what matters most: your marriage.

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The holidays are supposed to be magical… but for a lot of couples, they feel more like a minefield of expectations, family pressure, tight finances, and old wounds that get stirred up every December. In this episode of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather get real about how the holiday season can quietly strain even healthy marriages — and how to protect your relationship before the stress hits full force.They share personal stories from their own journey: growing up in divorced homes, feeling pulled between multiple families, juggling four Thanksgivings in one year, trying to keep Christmas on a $500 budget for everyone, and carrying the unseen mental load of planning, shopping, wrapping, and managing all the details. They talk about the resentment that can build when one spouse does 99 percent of the emotional and logistical work, the pressure of “fairness” between families, and the guilt and shame that often come with money stress around gifts and traditions.Find us online:Website: https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/Merch: https://imperfectlymarriedpodcast.com/storeInstagram: imperfectlymarried_thepodcast Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576918626044TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imperfectly_married

Gratitude looks different for every personality — and when you understand how your spouse receives, processes, and expresses gratitude, your marriage transforms. In this Enneagram-focused episode of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather break down how all nine Enneagram types relate to gratitude, why some types struggle to accept appreciation, and how to communicate gratitude in a way your spouse actually feels.From the principled Type 1 who battles their inner critic to the nurturing Type 2 who wants to feel loved beyond what they do, to the independent Type 5 who feels exposed by praise, each type filters gratitude through a completely different emotional lens. Understanding that lens can soften tension, deepen intimacy, and strengthen the bond between you.Whether you’re new to the Enneagram or already obsessed, this episode will help you identify your type, your spouse’s type, and the gratitude rhythms that draw you closer together.In this episode you’ll learn how each Enneagram type receives gratitude and why some resist it, what gratitude actually means to your spouse’s type, the biggest gratitude blind spot for each number, how each type expresses appreciation toward others, how gratitude becomes a marriage-strengthening language across all nine types, and one simple gratitude challenge you can do this week to reconnect.Gratitude doesn’t eliminate conflict, but it strengthens the bond you need to work through it — and the Enneagram gives you the roadmap to speak gratitude in a way that heals and unites.

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Gratitude is not just a feeling; it is a practice that has the power to transform your marriage from the inside out. In this episode of Imperfectly Married, Michael and Heather unpack how choosing gratitude, especially when it does not come naturally, can rewire your mindset, rebuild connection, and shift the emotional climate of your relationship. Through honest stories, practical examples, and real moments from their own marriage, they explore how resentment, entitlement, comparison, and hurt quietly block connection, and why consistent appreciation becomes the antidote that restores unity, joy, and intimacy. Whether you are in a difficult season or simply want to strengthen the bond between you and your spouse, this episode gives you the tools to practice gratitude in meaningful ways that change how you see your partner, how you communicate, and how you show up for each other every day.

Imperfectly Married is a weekly podcast where real talk meets real marriage. Hosted by Michael and Heather Brown, who have been married for more than 25 years, the show blends honest conversations, personal stories, faith-based wisdom, and practical tools to help couples grow closer, communicate better, and build marriages grounded in love and grace. Imperfectly Married is all about encouraging couples to pursue connection, overcome challenges, and discover beauty in every messy, meaningful season of marriage.

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