Depending on your experience, you might look forward to first dates or dread them entirely. They can be nerve-wracking experiences, but they don’t have to be. As long as you’re willing to make an effort, you can enter and leave every first date with a confident attitude.
These tips will help you with your dating success.
1. Come With Questions
A first date is like a two-way job interview. If you’re struggling to have a conversation, your relationship potential will be in question. Come up with a list of open-ended and non-invasive questions to ask beforehand. You can start with general backgrounds, such as job and upbringing, and think of subsequent issues based on their responses. You should also expect them to ask you similar questions in return. If any of them feel too personal for you to answer, then politely tell them so.
2. Dress Well
Proper grooming is a must when on a first date. You don’t need to wear a tuxedo or ball gown and spritz yourself with the finest perfume or cologne. However, you should at least wear clothes that are clean and pressed, and make sure you adhere to proper hygiene standards. You should also be mindful of your manners, such as covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Make sure to compliment your date’s outfit, as they will appreciate that you noticed; where they got it can also be a good topic of conversation.
3. Consider Your Actions
You have plenty to talk about, and you’re well-dressed. However, your nonverbal actions say a lot about you. If you’re constantly looking at your phone or have an impatient demeanor when a restaurant server tells you of a delay, your date might be turned off. Before you schedule any dates, take an audit of your habits. Ask yourself which ones have been hardest for you to break. Work on eliminating these gradually so that you can enter dates with a new sense of self.
4. Leave Your Problems At Home
Not everything you discuss on your date should be sunshine and rainbows. You can talk about serious issues and still seem likable; what gets you into trouble is when everything that you say sounds like a complaint.
Kelleher International, advises clients to focus on the positives when going out with a date. Talk about things you’re working on that you’re excited about. You should also remember the power of body language. Make sure you’re sitting or standing with good posture and have a genuine, positive facial expression.
5. Date for the Sake of It
People often get anxious before dates because they set their expectations entirely too high. They think that they need to be perfect and any flaws will be the death of them. They also believe that any unsuccessful date reflects on them as a person. An outing can go well or not so well for many reasons. You don’t need to obsess over each one. What you can do is thoughtfully reflect after each date. Make a list of what went well and what could have gone better. You’ll likely realize that almost no date is a complete disaster and that you will find the right person eventually.
When on a first date, you need to be true to yourself but make sure that you’re presenting your absolute best self. You can’t guarantee chemistry, but you can ensure respect and decency towards the other person. Each date is an opportunity to show just how thoughtful and intriguing of an individual you are.