You’ve done it. You’ve managed to get someone to agree to meet up with you for a first date, and now you’re going all out to dress yourself right and pick the perfect restaurant. You’ve got your hair looking fancier than ever, you’re wearing a dress you’d never have another need for, and you’re hoping they’ll go halfsies on the bill with you. Then you go off to have a great time together, you go on to have more dates, and you’re starting to think of a future with this perfect person!

But how did you get to this moment? What exactly is it that you did right? Did you have any near misses along the way, that almost cost you the relationship? How did you navigate this kind of peril? If you’re interested in questions like these, now’s the time to stop and think: in actuality, none of these questions mean a thing. When it comes to dating, there’s is no right and wrong answer, and that’s what a lot of people get wrong about the whole process.

Maybe you’ve never been one for casual dating, maybe you’ve just come out of a long and serious relationship and you’re looking to get back into the scene, or maybe you’ve been trying to date for a long time now and just not come up with anything! Whatever it is that’s making you search the web for posts like these, here’s hoping you find the information you’re looking for. So without further ado, here’s a couple of things you might want to keep in mind about dating.

You Need to Know What You’re Looking For

If you’re about to try out dating, make sure you go into the process with some realistic expectations, and your preferences completely in mind. Of course, if someone you meet is outside of your tastes, that’s no reason to push them away, but it’s best to start off with some. It’ll make sure you’re only signing up to relevant dating apps, and that you’re choosing your preferences in your profile with some real thought and interest. Sure, you can try to be funny or witty here, but you’re going to need to sprinkle in some genuine likes and dislikes if you want any real matches.

The dating field has increased tenfold in the last 50 years or so, and nowadays you can meet anyone from anywhere and be a lot happier because of it. But it also means you need to be a lot more specific with what you want from a partner, to make sure you’re not wasting any time and getting your heart broke in the process. Not to mention, you can find dating sites on the internet that are specific to your gender or sexuality, such as a lesbian dating site, and have a much better chance of surfing the right field of availables.

Be Sure to Always Be Yourself

Being yourself is always the best way forward, whether you’re going out for a job interview or you’re friend is introducing you to another friend of theirs you’ve never met. But a lot of people decide they should start pretending, and come across as someone they’re not. And when you’re trying to date, and pull in a partner that sees something real and beautiful with you, they’re probably going to be disappointed when they discover who you really are.

And that’s why you need to be yourself, no matter what. Maybe you’re worried you’ll come off as boring, maybe you’re worried your smile shows a little too much teeth, maybe you’re worried you’ll have nothing in common – no matter what it is that’s convincing you you have to put on a show, now’s your chance to shove those fears away. Being genuine can actually be quite sexy for another person, especially if they’re properly interested in who you are – not to mention the way you will light up when you start talking about your loves and your passions!

Ready to Get Dating Properly?

Well, seeing as there’s no ‘proper’ way to go about a date, you just need to make sure you’re being genuine, polite, and conscious of the other person’s comfort and needs when you’re around.

Hopefully this post could help you out with some common fears. So now’s your chance to find some real happiness with someone else.