1. Flirting with her. Even though you already convinced her to date you, that doesn’t mean you should stop putting in effort to impress her. Compliment her makeup. Notice her new haircuts. Tell her how beautiful she looks while she’s laughing or while tracing her eyes across the pages of a book. Make her feel as special as you did at the start.

2. Having spontaneous sex with her. Don’t let sex become a scheduled activity you feel like you’re forced to do on the nights when you have a few minutes to spare. Grab her in your arms randomly throughout the day. French kiss her first thing in the morning. Don’t let your sex life become too predictable.

3. Taking her on dates. You might love your routine of lounging on the couch half-naked watching Netflix together on weekends, but every once in a while shake things up. Bring her to the movies. Go mini-golfing. Bowling. Out to eat. Do something fun together, something you haven’t done in a while.

4. Putting effort into your appearance. Just because she loves you even when you are wearing a ratty old t-shirt and forget to spray on deodorant, let alone cologne, that doesn’t mean that you should always look that way. On special occasions, wear a button down shirt and the jeans she thinks your ass looks good in. Dress up for her because she is always dressing up for you.

5. Saying I love you. You might assume she knows how you feel since you have been together for so long, but that is no excuse to keep your compliments to yourself. Say those three little words whenever they pop into your head. Your actions might already hint how you feel, but she needs to hear the words too.

6. Being your own person. It’s easy to get engulfed by your relationship and forget about everything else that used to matter to you, but you should still have a life outside of her. Hobbies. Friends. Passions. You should still be your own person.

7. Exchanging presents. You might feel like there is nothing left to get her since you have spent so many birthdays and holidays together, but she deserves to be spoiled. She deserves to know you went out of your way to get her something nice.

8. Laughing together. You should not get so caught up in going grocery shopping and cleaning the house that you forget to watch movies together or play games together or engage in activities that are actually fun and exciting. She is supposed to be more than your roommate. She should be your best friend too.

9. Eating together. Even though your schedules are hectic and you see each other in passing often enough, that doesn’t mean you should skip meals together. It’s a chance to sit down and relax and talk about your day without any screens in the way. It’s an important bonding moment.

10. Treating her with respect. Even when you are mad at her, even when you are frustrated with her, even when you cannot believe her, you should still avoid talking down to her like she is a burden. You should still treat her the way she deserves.

11. Saying thank you. It’s easy to take someone for granted when they are always there for you, but you should never stop thanking her for being such a good girlfriend. Make sure she knows how much you appreciate her so she doesn’t feel like she is doing so much for you for nothing.