Singleness is a phenomenon affecting people of all ages. Life may seem very dull and lonely when you don't have a partner to share it with. You may even feel that you'll be alone forever. This article offers 10 tips and hints for the single time in your life.
Singleness can be extremely difficult when you have not chosen it freely. Our society is family-centered and assumes that people live in multi units rather than single units. Phrases like "Family fun", "Family Day" and "Focus on the Family" seem to peek at us everywhere. Family members and acquaintances may pressure single people to find a partner. Even food is packaged in huge "family" packages. All this makes singleness seem the worse way of life, and certainly won’t make the single person feel better. Despite these things, coping with singleness is not impossible. Here are 10 tips for surviving the single time in your life.
1. Map out what you want
That's right; write down on paper (or just make clear to yourself) the kind of partner you're looking for. Jot down both qualities that are important to you and qualities that you would not like to see in your future partner. When you have a clear picture of what you want, it is easier to avoid pitfalls and bad relationships that will end up in ruins.
However, think carefully about the things you mark down. For example, it is not wise to decide the eye color, height, weight, or profession of your future mate, because that would limit your vision and even make you miss possible partners. Those things, while surely important, are often the things that suddenly seem to matter the least when people fall in love. The things that are worth jotting down are life goals and personality types. If you are an artist who enjoys irregular life and often acts on impulses, a very systematic, orderly person with a 9am-5pm career might not be your best match. Similarly, if you want a large family, you may not want to date a person who hates messiness and noise (or small children!).
2. Prepare yourself
Don't just sit and wait for Prince/Princess Charming, but be active in preparing for a relationship in advance. Think about the things and situations in your life that might cause conflicts with a partner, and try to work out solutions for dealing with them. For example, the highlight of your year might be a traditional Thanksgiving turkey at your parents' mountain house, but what if your future partner prefers fish and absolutely despises mountain air? How far would you be willing to give in? It is worth it to find and consider such points already when you are single.