Dating can be bittersweet. For those that love to be single, it’s something that can be seen as a plus. You’re often thinking about dating as something that you get to do when you’re looking to meet new people or find your true love. But when you’re not all that happy about being single, you can see this as a bit of a drag. It can be hard to find somebody that you could see yourself being with forever. But that may often be the problem. Maybe you’re putting too much pressure on yourself? And this can be something that you should definitely NOT do when it comes to dating – particularly in the early stages of dating. But that’s not all. There are lots of things that you should and should not look to do when you want things to go well.
Now, this isn’t just about making a date work for you or trying to find yourself a man or partner. It’s just about really enjoying the dating process and allowing yourself to enjoy things, rather than struggling to find someone perfect for you. Because sometimes, you can really ruin things for yourself, and this may mean that you miss out on finding someone wonderful. So, if you know that you’re ready to date and you really want to get the most out of it, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s what you should do and shouldn’t do when you’re in the early stages of dating.
Do Know Yourself
First of all, you have to be sure that you know yourself. Now, it can seem really obvious, but more often than not, you really don’t know yourself as well as you should. Do you know all of your traits and characteristics, your good and bad habits, and what kind of person you are? It’s often best for you to be able to get to know yourself as much as possible. The better you know yourself, the more you’ll know what you want from someone else.
Do Love Yourself
At the same time, you need to be able to love yourself for who you are. If you don’t, how can anybody else? While you don’t always want to get too deep early on, you do need to be confident. The stronger you are in yourself, the more confident you are in yourself, and the more confident you will be that you’re searching for the right person on dates and not desperately trying to find someone.
Don’t Have High Expectations
When you’re feeling confident in yourself, you can then start to focus on dating and your date themselves. And the best way to do that is not to have any expectations about the person, your dates, or your future. When you put expectations in place, you may find that you’re only going to disappoint yourself.
Do Be Realistic
As a follow-on from that, you’re going to want to be realistic. If you are too picky about the dates that you go on or what you want from a mate, you could also be setting yourself up for failure. Sure, you do need to have requirements for who you date. But nobody is perfect and you may find that people have a few flaws, so be open-minded.
Don’t Try To Be Someone You’re Not
Now, when you’re starting to date someone that you think is amazing or when you really want things to go well, you may start to be someone else. Someone that you think other people might want to date. But this is never a good idea. Just be yourself. You will always want people to fall in love with you, and you alone! So make sure that you’re always being yourself.
Do Relax
Another really important thing for you to do when you’re dating is to relax. Whether you’re going on a first date with someone, or you’re a few dates in, you may be so nervous all of the time that it impacts how you come across. And that’s definitely not what you want to happen. So, instead, you need to make sure that you can get through your date anxiety and relax.
Don’t Think Too Far Ahead
Now, when you first meet someone, it can be all too easy to think about whether they’re right for you or whether you have a future together. But try to forget about the future for the first few days. You need to live in the moment to work out whether or not you enjoy being in each other’s company. If you over-analyze things too much, you may end up ruling out a really great person.
Do Things On Your Own Terms
When you think that things are going well, make sure that you still stay you. Don’t forget who you are or lose yourself in the other person. This is never going to allow you to build a strong and successful relationship. So make sure that you stay strong and that you date on your own terms. Don’t be afraid to play it cool a little if it will help you to keep your composure.
Do Be Okay With Saying No
But at the same time, it’s absolutely okay to say no to another date. If you didn’t get along with someone, you know they are just not right for you, or the date was kind of stale or boring, then say no. Don’t feel pressured into taking another date when you know the guy isn’t right for you.
Do Go With What Feels Right
Above all else, listen to your gut. Don’t feel like you have to take it slow if you know things are right. Sometimes, you do just meet someone and things move very quickly. If you want to celebrate your three-month anniversary together, look at gifts for him and plan another date. If you know that you want to marry this person, then date exclusively. Only you will know.
Don’t Continue To Date Out Of Desperation
Just make sure that you’re not dating for dating’s sake. Sure, you want to meet the right person. But then, you actually have to make sure that you meet the right person. Don’t continue to date the wrong person (or people) because you’re worried you won’t find anyone else. Because you will. Your soulmate is out there and you deserve to meet them!
Do Remember That You’re A Queen
And lastly, you have to remember that you’re a wonderful person and that you deserve to be treated as such. Now, when you are single and you do want to be in a relationship, you sometimes let yourself be treated in a way that is less than perfect, because you want to be with someone. But don’t. Instead, remember that you are a queen and that you deserve to be treated as such! But for this, you need to make sure that you treat yourself well. Because a lot of the time, others will treat you how you want to be treated. So be kind to yourself, love yourself, and then others will treat you in that exact same way too.
Don’t Start A New Chapter Prematurely
The fact that you are actively pursuing new dates shows that you are ready to move on. However, it’s important to tie up the loose ends before you do. Otherwise, elements from your past can continue to pull you back. Divorce lawyers are great at helping you move on from your broken marriage. Once your former spouse no longer has a hold on you, there is a far greater chance of your next relationship having an opportunity to blossom as it should.
While there are definitely no set rules of how to date, you should find that these do’s and don’ts help you. If you’re nervous about dating or you’re worried about how you will come across, these basics should give you more confidence, and allow you to enjoy dating instead!