Dating in your 30s is hard. It is quite daunting, and it can take a lot of effort on your part. You are no longer the girl you were in your 20s. You might see a glimmer of her every time you look in the mirror, but you know that time has made you wiser and more in touch with reality when it comes to relationships.
Once you’ve hit 30, you are most likely more aware of yourself. You’ve probably gotten in touch with who you are and what you want, and you have learned to be more grounded. Perhaps, you’ve come to see that love isn’t the idealized version you had in mind when you started the dating game.
With age comes maturity… At least ideally. With that in mind, we’ll skip the dating basics you should have learned in your teens and 20s, and get right to dishing out more knowledgeable advice.
1. Know what you want. Now that you are more in control with yourself, you have a clearer picture of what you want from a relationship and from life. All those failed dates and relationships in your 20s have taught you what you don’t want, so it logically follows that you’re able to narrow down the options for what you do want.
2. Throw out any plans you might have. You might have plans on when you want to get married and have children, but life tends not to be very cooperative in that regard. Granted there’s nothing wrong with having plans, but don’t get upset should things not don’t go accordingly.
3. Always be open minded. Remember when you had a type? This is the age where you have to be open-minded and date someone who isn’t your type at all. Try dating someone who doesn’t share the same views as you do. Plan a date that goes beyond your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to take your dating game to a whole new level.
4. Don’t let the heartaches from yesterday prevent you from having a happy tomorrow. Never let your cynical and cold heart stop you from trusting the next person who comes along. Welcome, each date with an open heart and an open mind. Everyone deserves a chance and don’t let your past hurts hinder you from finding your happiness.
5. Let go of a relationship that isn’t going anywhere. When you are dating in your 30s, you are looking for stability in a relationship. This is the perfect time to let go of relationships that are clearly going nowhere. Are you still holding on to a dead relationship, where the man has absolutely no intention of settling down and has been a notorious cheater? Now is the time to be realistic, and let go of relationships that will just hold you back. You shouldn’t feel like you have to stay because you’re afraid of being alone—there are far worse things than being single.