1. Preparation
Decide exactly who you’re looking for and be prepared to commit as much energy as you can into finding this person. Giving a half hearted effort won’t be as effective and won’t really help you.
Once you’re focused on who you want, you’ll be wanting to look your best. Get fit, eat healthily, get a haircut and perhaps even a new wardrobe. Not only will this make you look presentable, it will increase your confidence around your date.
2. Be realistic
You don’t want to aim too high, for those out of your league, but don’t aim too low, someone who won’t make you happy in the long run. Take into account not just looks but also personality and any other factors such as sense of humour, being a good listener etc. Aiming for the perfect match might be hard, but well worth it once you’ve achieved success.
3. Be yourself
Probably the most important step. Nobody wants to be with a person who starts out one way but down the road turns into someone else. Be open and honest, we’re all imperfect beings and people appreciate those that can accept this and be themselves.
4. Punctuality
Being very late and giving no advanced warning sends out a bad message to your date, making it unlikely you’ll see them again. Ok fashionably late is fashionable, but whilst you think you’re playing it cool, your date might be getting stressed or worried waiting for you, setting a bad vibe for the night.
5. Personal safety
There are plenty of personal safety tips out there such as meeting in public places, and following the process of several layers of communication before going on a first date. However the most important thing is to trust your instinct. If your gut tells you that something is wrong, whether online or in person then learn to trust it. For example if a guy doesn’t introduce you to hi
6. Enjoy yourself
Enjoy dating for what it is, meeting people and enjoying other’s company. Don’t get too bogged down with having to find a partner and taking things so seriously. Enjoy getting to know people, perhaps making friends along the way and with a bit of luck you might one day find that special someone.
7. Create Mystery
Don’t give everything away about yourself when you first meet your date! People enjoy mystery and revealing all your secrets after several dates will leave you little left to offer.
8. Taking a break
Every so often you might get through a number of dates and feel exhausted and that things aren’t going your way. Take time off and recharge the batteries, rethink your goals and once you're done, you'll be more optimistic with a fresh perspective.
9. Stay Positive
If a date ends badly, don’t give up hope, this is most likely a blip and just because it happened once doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. Be prepared to meet a few ‘not so great’ people before you find the person of your dreams.
10. Don’t have sex on the first date
Obviously if its love at first sight and the chemistry is that strong between you then it won’t make that much difference but in general sex on the first date is too much too soon and could kill any chances of a proper relationship blooming. Don’t forget, the more you anticipate something, the better it is.
These tips have been extracted from the "Dating Tips" section of My DateMatcher, a new online dating site.
John works on behalf of My DateMatcher, a brand new dating site. As a promotion they are giving away LIFETIME free memberships to the first 300 members who sign up.
