Dating can be fun, but it isn’t always easy on either party. Both men and women want to meet the person of their dreams, and the only way to do that is by dating and putting yourself out there. However, this comes with the risk of having an awful time or experiencing heartache.
That’s why you should approach your dating life lightheartedly and with an open mind. Put your best foot forward and give it your best shot. Learn what it takes to be and have an even better date and do your part even if it doesn’t turn out to be true love.
Don’t be Late
The number one rule for both people is not to be late. This sets a poor tone for the entire date ahead and puts everyone in a bad mood. Set a time to meet or be picked up and make sure you’re there or waiting at least five minutes in advance. Clear your schedule the day of the date and start getting ready early if that helps you be on time. Your evening out is going to go so much smoother if both parties arrive on time and don’t make each other wait around feeling awkward and unsure if your date will show.
Have A Plan
It’s a good idea to have a plan in place and not wing it when you’re meeting someone for the first time. Whether you’re the one calling the shots or not, speak up and be a better date by forcing you two to decide on what you’re going to be doing. A first date isn’t the best time to pull out a bunch of surprises and plan activities the other person may not enjoy. Have a conversation about what could be fun and come to an agreement about what you’ll be doing during your date in advance.
Come Ready with Conversation Ideas
Show up to your date with a few ideas in your back pocket about what you two can talk about on your date. One idea is to ask them about what they do for a living or bring up how you’ve been learning French verbs in your free time and what those are. This is your chance to get to know each other better, so don’t blow it by being nervous and not preparing any questions ahead of time. Come up with an acronym in your head you can use for suggesting new topics of conversation if the dialogue between you two slows down.
Look & Feel your Best
You’re going to be more confident in yourself when you look and feel your best. Put time and effort into picking out your outfit for the evening ahead of time and a getting a good night’s sleep. This way you’ll have a lot of natural energy and won’t be dragging yourself through the date. Looking and feeling your finest will give you the opportunity to showcase yourself in the best light possible. Instead of being self-conscious, you’ll feel like yourself, relaxed and ready to mingle. It’s not fair to your date if you show up looking out of sorts, with little sleep and in a bad mood.
Don’t Talk about your Past Relationships
This isn’t the time or place to bring up your past relationships and why they didn’t work. Your date wants to hear and learn about you and get to know you better. Don’t get nervous and strike up a conversation about your previous boyfriend or girlfriend. Your date doesn’t want to know about it and isn’t interested in understanding the situation further. This can be a huge turnoff, and you risk ruining a perfectly good evening by talking about inappropriate topics. Stick to the ideas you brought with you that are more fitting.
Smile, Laugh & have Fun
Being too serious on your date for whatever reason is another way to throw the evening off. Remember that you’re there to have fun and meet someone new. Smile, laugh and let your true self shine through. There’s no reason to take this date too seriously or put a ton of pressure on yourself for it to work out. Remember that love can take time to form between two people and you’re not going to have all the answers after one date night. Enjoy the activities you decide to do together and getting to know someone, regardless if they turn out to be a friend or more than that.
Be Polite
Always be polite on your date and practice your manners. This holds true even if the date is heading south and you’re not having a good time. Remember to stand your ground and not let someone drag you down to act in a way that’s inappropriate. Be polite to your date and those you meet throughout the night. It’s likely this extra graciousness will only help the date go better than it already is. If you and your date end up clashing and you find out they’re not the one for you then politely excuse yourself from the date when you’re ready to leave.
Find Common Ground
Your best hope for having a fabulous date is to find common ground. This way you can connect on what you both find interesting. Talk about places you’ve traveled, what you like to do for fun and your families. You’re bound to find commonalities somewhere throughout your date night that you can latch on to and dig deeper on together. If you can’t find any common ground, then this may be a good sign that you two aren’t right for each other and you may consider parting ways.
Conclusion
Even if you consider yourself a perfect date, there’s always room to learn and grow. Use these tips for experiencing a better date night going forward. There may be guidelines in here you haven’t considered, and you’ll find very rewarding to use the next time you go out. Always remember to relax and enjoy yourself because that’s truly what dating is all about. The rest will come in time.
