New Year’s resolutions are like diets- they start off with all best intentions but often fade away into oblivion as soon as the glow wears off. Perhaps it’s because in the end, dieting and so many other common resolutions are hard work.
This year, why not try something a little more exciting and rewarding for your New Year’s quest: a new way of dating. Single girls: if your efforts up til now have left you less than thrilled, more than disappointed, or totally frustrated, it’s time to start fresh.
What better time to start a fresh approach to dating than the New Year’s? It’s a time when everyone’s making resolutions, so why not ride the tide and harness that social momentum for a kick-start to your new year of dating?
Here are 6 ways to get your dating life off to a new start with the New Year. Try one, try them all and you may even wind up fulfilling your New Year’s resolutions this year!
#1: Resolve to Do Something Completely Different. If your tired old ways of meeting men aren’t turning up Mr. Wonderful, then change your ways. Used to meeting men in bars? Try signing up for a class instead- maybe you’ll find someone with common interests rather than just guy who likes to drink beer at bars.
By widening your horizons you’ll be drawing from a larger pool of men, thereby increasing your chances of meeting a few good ones. Such a simple concept, yet so many of us girls just don’t ever do this.
#2: Forget the Ghosts of Relationships Past. There’s a reason why people get so worked up about New Year’s and resolutions. It’s the chance to start fresh and leave the old year behind. In relationship terms, it’s your chance to let old relationships go and turn your sights to new, improved versions. Don’t let past negativity cloud your future. Just because every single guy you dated in 2014 turned out to be a waste of time, doesn’t mean that first guy you date in January 2015 can’t be Mr. Right. Let it all go…past dates are over with, so let them go.
#3: Treat Yourself to Something New. Sometimes it’s good to start anew in more ways than one. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, but a new hairstyle, a new outfit, anything that revamps your look can do wonders with your attitude. As superficial as it may seem, a new look can boost your confidence and give you a little extra “something” that makes the right guy notice.
By striving to be the best you can be for yourself, you’ll become more attractive to potential mates as well. Don’t go blonde for the sole reason you think you’ll get more dates. Go blonde because you’ve been thinking about it forever but putting it off. New Year’s is just the push you needed to finally go for it.
#4: Resolve to Upgrade Your Experience. This one is for all you girls out there who put up with mediocre relationships, bad dates, and guys who don’t give you what you need.
Remember…dating is supposed to be fun. Still dating that guy who annoys you when he doesn’t return your texts and plays mind games with communications? Forget him and move on. Going on date number four with Mr. Narcissism? Cancel, stay home and dye your hair instead (see Resolution #3, above).
There’s no time in life for dead-end guys who don’t make you smile, laugh or otherwise provide a good time. If it’s not fun, why are you putting up with him?
#5: Don’t Give Up After the First Date. Unless a guy is totally wrong for you, give him a second chance by arranging a second date. There are two reasons for this:
- Sometimes the jitters of first dates make it harder to get to know someone.
- Sometimes we’re a little too impatient and write guys off too quickly.
For the first circumstance, a second date that’s completely different from the first will give you both a chance to see each other in a different light. Plus, those first date nervous quirks will be behind you both and you’ll relax more the second time around.
For the second circumstance, so many girls give up too fast. Either we’re not slowing down enough to see the real person behind the first-date jitters, or we judge too harshly, too quickly. Slow down, give the guy a chance to impress you, and then you can make a better decision.
#6: Ditch the List. Do you have a list of requirements for the perfect date? Be careful, or it may just become a list of why you don’t want to find a guy. So many women make these lists which are impossible for any man to live up to.
Not only that, but very often these wish lists are more negative than they are anything else. That’s because lists are often just a woman’s way of making sure she doesn’t date her ex again.
But what if your ex had some good qualities? Let’s say he loved eating out at restaurants. Sure, he spent too much money and of course it was really the symptom of a much bigger problem (terrible at finances), but don’t let that affect your future choice in men.
Having on your list I want a guy who likes to cook at home will eliminate a lot of totally acceptable men. You’re cheating yourself out of dating them if you have that silly, reactionary item on your wish list. Simply because a new potential guy has a few similar characteristics as a bad date you had in the past, doesn’t mean he might not be Mr. Right.
Resolve to Have an Adventure
Whichever New Year’s Resolutions you choose for yourself this December 31, recognize that the New Year will be an exciting new adventure. Approach with a positive attitude, leave your baggage behind, and celebrate a whole new chance to get it right this year!
