Dating tips

10 Dating Tips I Wish I'd Followed While I Was Single

Dating advice from a married woman who hopes you don't waste as much of your single life as she did.

When I started seeing my husband, aka the first guy I wasn't embarrassed to tell my therapist about, I was gobsmacked to realize how much I hadn't known about dating before then.

In fact, I'd been going about being single all wrong. I didn't have very much fun at it, which is depressing since I didn't pair up until my 30s. Besides, so much luck was involved in my finding my match that there are probably more alternate universes where I'm still living solo than where I'm married .

I realize that my past experiences have made me who I am today, but I still wish I could go back in time and have a sisterly chat with poor, clueless, "younger me." I could've written three novels, started a business and hiked the Appalachian Trail with all the wasted time and energy. It's too late for me, but maybe you can learn from what I wish I knew then.

1. Finding a romantic partner is only one of many goals you can have at once. There's a difference between making something a priority and having an obsession. No one wants to be the Captain Ahab of the dating world.

2. When you like a guy, and your mutual friends have multiple anecdotes about him projectile vomiting after excessive drinking, you need to rethink the infatuation. You didn't like it when your godson hurled on you, and he was a toddler. 4 Signs You're Dating A 'Man-Boy,' Not A Man

3. It's not about getting someone to think you're good enough for them. It’s about finding someone you can stand to spend a ridiculous amount of time with. It's about finding the puzzle piece you fit with and the Ernie to your Bert.

4. Work on your gaydar. It'll make your life much easier.

5. Sometimes boyfriends have little annoying habits. And sometimes they have small behaviors that indicate a complete lack of respect. If you wouldn't let your friend's sweetie talk to her that way . don't put up with it yourself. Keep Reading.

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10 First Date Tips

If you're single and dating, you may be surprised to learn that the dating pool is actually quite deep, even if it doesn't always feel that way. There are more than 100 million unmarried American adults -- which is more than 45 percent of all adults in the U. S. -- but not all of them are unattached [source: U. S. Census Bureau ]. Roughly 5 percent cohabitate with a partner, effectively kicking them out of the pool. But what we can take away from this is that there are many single Americans, and a good percentage of them are swimming around looking for a date.

While the dating scene may seem like a lot of work to one person, to another, it's a fun way to meet other people. But all things being equal, first dates can make most of us anxious. It's Just Lunch, a dating service for single professionals, surveyed single American adults and found that nearly 70 percent of men and about 50 percent of women won't bother with a second date if the chemistry isn't there. When there is chemistry, though, 97 percent of men will call to ask out their love interest again -- in 72 hours or less [source: Search Your Love ].

Trying to ensure a second date? Or develop a long-term relationship? First, let's get you through the nerve-wracking first date. We've compiled 10 first date tips for both men and women, so let's get started with choosing a first date activity.

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