Contributed by: kellyseal on Thursday, April 18 2013 @ 12:14 pm
Last modified on
Have you joined an online dating site but given it up because you're just too busy and haven't met anyone worthwhile? If so, it's a good idea to ask yourself a few questions - like how many matches did you reach out to via email, or how many coffee dates did you set up each week? Or more importantly, how much time did you spend putting together your profile or taking good pictures to post? If the answer is not enough, then you're not putting your online dating site to the best use. It's merely a tool to help you - but you still have to do the work to be successful.
Like a relationship, joining an online dating site is a commitment. You can't expect to get good results if you go for days or weeks without checking your matches or responding to emails. Likewise, an incomplete profile isn't going to attract people to you. I should also add - if your life is hectic and you find you have no time in the evenings to pursue your love life, then how can you expect to cultivate one? But putting that aside for a moment, let's take a look at how you could make better use of the time you do have for online dating.
Check the site during short work breaks. If you feel tied to your work desk all day, even during lunch, then give yourself permission to take a ten-minute break three times a day to check your matches, return emails, and set up coffee dates. While it's not as thorough as spending thirty minutes or an hour scrolling through profiles, at least it's a good way to stay on top of communication and lets others know that you are active on the site.
Post new pictures often. Maybe you don't have time to rewrite your profile every few weeks or to write a good email, but you do have time to post a new picture of yourself on your profile page. Sometimes small changes like that put your profile at the top of the list, giving you more exposure to potential matches.
Keep the first date short. Some people like to meet for coffee for a first date, instead of a long evening of drinks or dinner. If you meet during your lunch hour or during the day on the weekend, you can schedule it between meetings or errands, maximizing your free time. Schedule more dates to meet, but make them shorter so you can meet more of your matches, even when your schedule is busy.
We're all busy, but some have more going on in their lives than others. I recommend keeping more of a balance between your career and personal life, and making more time for meeting potential dates. If you show yourself and your dates that your personal life is important, then you'll have an easier time finding a great relationship.