Set Your Standards, Ladies!

written by Emma Bartley

Are you single? When you look around, it may seem like everyone is dating and like you are the only single one. On Valentine’s Day especially, you really see the amount of people that are dating plastered over social media. While you may want to date, it is important to not just date anyone! You are a valuable person with dignity and worth, and you deserve someone as amazing as you are. To make sure that a guy is right for you, you should try to set some standards! Here are some ideas:

• Clear your mind. Do not have a certain boy or crush stuck in your head. Don’t make your list to fit him. Make your list to fit what is best for you.
• Start to make a list of what you would want in a boyfriend. Think about what you absolutely want to see in a guy’s personality. Intelligence? Humor? Strong faith? Similar moral compass? Make sure a guy is compatible with your personality and values.
• Look at the strong relationships around you. Do you admire your parents’ relationship? What it is about it the relationship that you think makes it so strong? Add that to your list!
• Think about what would be nice to have in a significant other, but not necessary. Maybe humor isn’t as important to you, but you would still love a funny guy! You can still put it on your list.
• Ask your mom what she thinks! You might disagree, but I bet your mom has some great insight, and she will have some important characteristics to add to the list. You can also ask for your dad’s opinion, too.
• Share your list of standards with a close friend so that you will stick to them. If they never go anywhere, they can easily be thrown out the window for a guy that you think is really cute but doesn’t really have the best personality or values.
• You can also make a list of characteristics you definitely don’t want a boyfriend to have. This way, if you see a boy that you think is cute but has one of these characteristics, you know he is an automatic no-no!

It’s almost important to remember that it is totally okay if you aren’t dating someone or haven’t yet found someone that you really want to date. It might just take a while to find your simpatico. Even if you never find him, know that you are a valuable person that can be whole without another person. Just trust that everything will happen the way it is supposed to, and in the meantime, have some fun being single!