15 Hacks To Help You Survive The Dating Game In 2017

When you're in a position in your life where you either stay single or plunge into the abyss also known as dating, it can be a very daunting decision. A decision that we all probably rather not deal with. You might find yourself asking, “Why can't a man just appear and it be perfect?”! These tips are for you. While they might not make the whole process easier, because finding love is never as easy as it seems, these tips will help you stay afloat in the sea of dating services and the people out there. In the society we live in we have so many rules and advice columns that are completely dedicated to dating and how a relationship should be perfect, but I want to offer you a dose of reality. What you really should be prepared for!

You don't need to worry about what you'll eat in front of the guy you decided to go on a date with, you should focus on the conversation, your confidence, and forming a real connection if you feel it's going in the right direction. While sometimes it might feel like you'll never find someone just remember that it isn't you, it just takes time. You can't compare your life to someone else's let alone your love life, it's such a personal and private moment, can we really expect celebs and people we know to expose what really goes on behind closed doors? While someone might seem all smiles and love, it could be a dramatically different story. This applies to many things in life but it's one of the most important to remember when you step foot back into the dating game.

Use this list as gentle guiding hand, not as a rule book or creed, you'll find yourself learning and growing at your own pace, and everyone is different!

15 Be Prepared

For the worst and by worst, I mean d*cks. Both senses of the word.

Many people in general use dating sites and apps as a place to find hookups, be prepared to fight your way through this sort of crowd if you're really looking for an honest connection. It happens on any and every site, so you basically just have to learn to keep moving forward. In some cases, if you're not interested in that kind of thing people might be a bit more aggressive towards you, block and move on is the best advice I can give you. I suggest using sites like Bumble, which is generally more female focused and surrounds aspects of feminism to make finding that perfect match a bit more easier. It also helps to know that no guys can reach out to you first, instead, you actually have to message them first! It takes quite a bit of the hassle away from the overall process.

14 One At A Time

Don't continue to be active on dating sites and engaging with potential matches while planning dates. It's not fair to the other person you're going to be seeing! I feel like one of the biggest mistakes individuals make is when they think it's okay to browse the dating apps during a time period they have dates scheduled with a potential match. Some people continue to discuss whether this is considered cheating or being dishonest, but no matter what it is, it's being shady. I think we all should just take a minute and try to imagine how we would feel if a date did that to us, a date that we had a real connection with. If we found out that he had a date with us, but was still hitting up girls on his Tinder, I know I'd be pi**ed! You don't have to delete your apps, but just push them away until you know a clear direction that the date is clearly going in if you continue seeing each other, that's the time to retire the apps!

13 Don't Pretend

You don't have to pretend to be someone you're not just to find someone. Don't pretend to be more quirky and don't pretend to be too reserved. Be yourself. If they can't accept who you are, then maybe it's time to just move on. I see so many profiles that go on elaborate tangents about how they want long walks on the beach at sunset holding hands with a potential date, when in reality they probably just want to have an evening in, watching Netflix and ordering pizza. While someone might actually like walks on the beach, it's important to just be honest about what you like, because that's a major part of what draws people in. Back to the example, if you add the walking on the beach scenario to your profile, and a guy asks you out to enjoy an evening resembling that because he basically lives at the beach and that's why he was initially attracted to you, then what? It's just a waste of everyone's time.

12 Not Too Fast

Don't fall in love too fast unless it's clearly mutual! Try to maintain a balance in the conversation, grow together and see where it takes you instead of having all of these elaborate ideas in your head beforehand! It's so easy to find yourself lusting over a photo of a person you've never even met or talked to more than 5 minutes, especially if you're a little bit more desperate for companionship. It's hard to deal with dating in general through apps and pretty much anything that doesn't include a natural and organic way of meeting someone. Everyone is only interested in fast dating culture, finding someone quick and getting together for life. Although that sounds nice, it's also nice to keep a level head and just try to maintain a sense of balance. If you manage to maintain a balance and the potential date does as well, you'll find that there's a higher chance you'll create a deeper connection.

11 Creativity

The sea of possible dates are endless, show your creativity and save time. Don't be afraid of who you are as a person, unleash your inner creativity and showcase your hobbies and interests even if they're a bit quirky! Whether it's up to you to plan the date or pick the place you want to go eat, or even if it just has to do with writing an interesting dating app bio about yourself. Either way, the dating game is so flooded with people, it's the creativity that stands out from the rest of the crowd. Showcasing yourself in your honest creativity is much more attractive than you trying to emulate someone else in the hopes you'll get more responses. Be yourself is probably the biggest piece of advice you could follow and don't be afraid to share your creative side with the world. You never know, you might find yourself on a cute painting date! (complete with wine of course!)

10 Awareness

Being aware of the red flags is a must if you're preparing to dive head first into the dating game. To be aware in general is always a must when dabbling on the internet, but when it comes to dating services you need this factor on your side. Awareness is more than just being able to spot a f**k boy a mile away, they tend to be a lot more obvious than the real threats that lurk on dating sites. From scammers that just want you to feel sorry for them and trick you into giving them money, to being aware of the red flags that someone might be a little bit too interested in you just to find out more about you, not in a loving way. Of course, there are risks we face everyday, we can't hide from anything, but being cautious and taking things a bit slower will help in the long run. Better safe than sorry!

9 Don't Hide

Don't hide yourself in your profile full of text, show your real self so you can attract someone who likes you for you! I'm not telling you to upload those belfies you took at the gym yesterday if you don't want, but taste full body shots that show you in your element are very welcoming! It's such a great thing to boost your profile a bit if you have more than just head-shots and selfies. Having a more full image of yourself hiking or doing something else you love really allows people to picture you in their life, doing fun activities like you're doing in the photo. Go out there and do something you love, try something new and don't be afraid of what you have! It's so easy to find a balance when it comes to taking great pictures, just capture what makes you feel great, what makes you have fun, and what evokes a sense of confidence from you! Adding some photos with these qualities can really amp your dating game up!

8 Open Minded

Remembering to be open minded can really make or break your dating profile and your dating experience in general. There are so many people out there in the world looking for love, it's very hard to find a real connection if you're constantly checking off requirements you have in your head that every guy has to meet. Same goes for both individuals involved! Just be open minded, if you get along with a guy and everything seems perfect but he turns out to be a little shorter than you imagined, then maybe it's time to rethink your priorities! I know society constantly tells everyone what the ideal body shape should be but thankfully that's all changing! This year let's try to focus more on the individual, what truly matters, rather than physical appearance! It might be a refreshing way to look at dating, the refreshing change you needed in your life!

7 Equality

It's so important to make sure that there is an aspect of equality before you move any further. It's one of the first things you should be looking out for so you know if it will be a true match. Of course, it's hard to see who people really are when you're first meeting them. Most people put up walls and slowly lower them as soon as more trust is built. It's important to be able to separate yourself from a bad situation as soon as you see the red flags. It might be a few weeks after you connect on dating apps when you finally see how he really is about certain things that you don't agree with, you might find that you still have feelings for him, but evacuate as soon as you can. You don't want to find yourself in a situation you can't get out of or a situation you don't want to be anywhere near, ever! It's hard, but you can make it through!

6 Be Direct

There's way too many paths to take when it comes to dating, it can often times become very overwhelming and even underwhelming depending on the circumstance. Don't waste time, be direct, be honest, and be yourself. If you're interested in talking to someone, start the conversation, we can't wait around for the right moment forever. Life is too short! Just think of how amazing it will feel to get straight to the point instead of trying to sugar coat everything to be perfect, which just ends up wasting time. We can't afford that! Instead simply get to the point, let the people you're interested in know that you're looking for a serious thing! You might trick yourself into thinking that you can change a guy that just wants to have a friends with benefits situation but it's very rare and time-consuming! You should be scared to speak your mind, it might be scary, but in the long run, it's very well worth it.

5 Be Yourself

Being yourself is easier said than done. Don't be afraid of what other people think, present yourself how you want to be seen but be sure that you're expressing your true self. It's so easy to get very caught up in the social media we deal with everyday, but being able to show who you really are is a rare gem that is refreshing to others. The credibility and honesty that offers is raw and very obvious when someone of equal caliber comes along. With this up your sleeve, you'll be able to do anything! So many people go on these dating sites because they're bored or have an interest in faking who they are to achieve some ego satisfaction. It's time to be the bigger person and learn how to put ourselves out there without being ashamed of what we have to offer! Just start by taking small steps in that direction and before you know it the real connection with someone will be closer than you think!

4 Pack Away The Baggage

Don't let your baggage take the spotlight. Pack it away and move forward with fresh eyes and a chance for a fresh start. One of the biggest turn-offs when it comes to a potential new relationship, even something as fresh as a first date, is baggage. Even if you find it very easy to talk to the person you're out seeing, it can go two different ways; talking about baggage can ensure that you won't be seeing them again since it's very overwhelming, or it can turn them more into a BFF gossip situation, which is not a place to find romance! It can be hard when you want to be an open book for your potential date, but just be patient, in time you'll be able to expose all the baggage you want as long as it's a mutual time where both parties are okay with discussing that sort of thing! Soon enough you'll know everything about each other and that's simply something you can't rush!

3 Be Specific

Be specific, not when it necessarily comes to men, but when you write out your profile bio. It's basically a resume for your personal life. Not too long, but also not just a sentence. Keep it classy and make sure it showcases your personality and what you love to do. Don't just say you love food or travel, be specific, instead say something like, “I'd love to travel to Brazil next year and finally try fresh fruit on the beach!” It's much more approachable and generally tends to be a great conversation starter as well, it adds visual aid and a beautiful picture that surrounds yourself! Put that wishlist full of abs and beard aside and focus on specifics that deal with your profile! If you're specific when it comes to how you create your dating profile, it'll show how much attention to detail you have and will overall send a good impression to those around you!

2 You Don't Have To

You don't have to send out a reply if you don't want to and if you don't feel comfortable. I often feel like many individuals on the dating apps sometimes forget that it's optional! Dating apps and sites are made for quick dating, automatic love in some cases when that's not how it usually works. Relationships are formed over time, they're created and crafted by both individuals and their personal experiences. It's hard to put a price tag on that and rush the process. It's vitally important to remember that you don't even have to enter this world of love and you don't have to push yourself to like someone just because they started talking to you on an app. You might feel like you have to after they give you an abundance of compliments, but I promise you that you don't have to put up with it if it just makes you uncomfortable! Don't feel bad for someone that's not respecting your personal boundaries.

1 You Do You

Overall, being you and being unapologetic is they key factor to surviving the game known as dating. There are so many other superficial hacks and tricks to find out there on the web, but these are real tips you need to keep in your back pocket. Avoiding the run around many face in dating scenarios and save your time, which is probably one of the most important things to keep in mind, as well as being sure to present who you really are. Trust me, we don't need anymore fakes in this world!

You do you, be yourself, and embrace that inner confidence and make it shine, the people around you will see that radiance! Don't be afraid to accept who you are as a person no matter how gritty the online dating world might seem. You might feel lost or that it's hopeless, but just like dating in real life, anyway you look at it, it will take time to develop into something real, only you know who's right for you!