Online Dating
The key challenge in meeting someone usually center on where and how?! First, you have to create regular opportunities to meet a potential date. Joining free online dating sites like Okcupid or Loveawake are all good ideas, but we often overlook ways to meet someone as part of our regular routine; where we buy coffee, shop, ride the bus, or go to the gym. Many of us also feel uncomfortable flirting or introducing ourselves. The cold truth is that rejection is a fundamental part of dating. Learning from your mistakes, but not taking rejection too personally, is one of the biggest challenges at this stage.
As long as you're not too isolated and have the chance to meet new people, your odds of meeting the right person looks good. Ask yourself, "What could I do today to put myself in a situation where I could possibly meet someone appealing?"
If you feel you're having a hard time meeting enough people that you find appealing, which could be holding back your progress through the other stages.
Ask yourself, these questions:
1. What could I gain by finding more ways to meet someone and polish my social skills?
2. What strengths do I have already that I can build on?
3. What's the worst thing that could happen if I took more chances?
4. What could happen if I don't focus more energy here?
To further tip the odds in your favor, here are a few steps toward meeting the right person:
Proximity fuels liking. Studies have shown that the more you see someone and have contact with that person, the more likely you are to become attracted to each other. So the more opportunities you have to see each other on a routine basis, the more likely you are to develop a spark, even if the spark takes time and familiarity to grow.
Get bac k to the basics. Studies suggest that singles can see big improvements in their dating success by simply focusing on the "basics" of good conversation. Express interest in the other person. Make them feel like they're the only person in the room. Ask open-ended questions about their interests. In general, the more polite, punctual, and polished you are, the more comfortable the other person will be.
Talk like a woman or a man! To men, conversation usually means talking about events, while for women, it usually means sharing emotions and inner thoughts. Your dates will be more engaged if you can converse using their language and style. In addition to what you talk about, keep in mind how and where you're talking. Women usually like to talk face-to-face and make lots of eye contact, in contrast to men who usually prefer to talk shoulder-to-shoulder.
