If you happen to have a firm set of criteria for your ideal partner, it’s great that you know what you want. But if you find yourself slipping into the same ruts over and over again without sexy results, it might be time to branch out. Here are some ways to break free of your dating type rut:
Identify the common traits of your previous partners:
Without prescribing character traits to stereotypes like the troubled artist, the jock and the player, there are some traits that certain occupations demand. For example, if your partner is a writer and he’s working on his memoirs 10 hours per day, chances are, he’s going to be a little on the self-involved side. If you can’t deal with a broody dude, cast your eyes to prospective partner who’s not in an industry that require full time navel gazing.
Recognize your role in the pattern:
You can’t just swear off all jocks and expect sexy results with an artsy dude. It takes two to make a relationship jive, and it takes two to fight. Think about the reasons your past relationships haven’t worked out. Recognizing the personality traits that don’t pair well with yours will help you make intelligent decisions about your interactions. If the conversations starts to feel familiar on a date, or you feel the need to roll your eyes, spare yourself the turmoil and nip that hangout in the bud.
Think about what you can do to invite a new type:
You can’t expect any changes to come about in your dating life if you’re not willing to make any changes on your part. For example, if you want a partner who is humble, your behaviour has to invite that. If you constantly dominate the conversation and he can barely get a word in edgewise, you’ll both get bored and jet.
Understand that branching out doesn’t have to mean settling:
You don’t need to compromise your standards just because you want to branch out. You can still maintain your standards “ it’s important that your partner respects you, makes you laugh, and ideally, you won’t be able to keep your hands off him. Experiment by cutting out your other stipulations, keep an open mind, and know that even the dude you aren’t initially attracted to could be the sexiest person you ever meet.
Reach out to your friends in different places:
If you’ve been spending all your time in the same old crusty old haunts and aren’t meeting anyone inspiring, tap into your broader social network. Have friends who get excited about exploring new spots? Jump on their party train this weekend. You never know who you’ll meet.
