A New Year is here again! How did that happen? I hope you’ve enjoyed the holiday season with your friends and family, especially if you’re still single. Because every year, I see a familiar pattern emerge among singles that can be both exciting and stressful. They decide they’re ready to take finding love seriously again, but this time, they want it to be different!

However, they don’t want more confusion, dead-end dates, or emotional exhaustion. They want real connection with people that they can truly see building a future with!

If that sounds like you, this can be an excellent time to find love again. So many more singles are also putting themselves out there. The difference, however, between success and frustration is how you approach the process. The keys are clarity and planning! When you know what you want and take intentional steps toward it, dating becomes far more effective.

These five strategies are the same ones my successfully coupled clients have used to meet partners they are excited to build a life with.

5 Smart Ways to Find Love in the New Year

1. Revisit what you want for your life and what characteristics represent your ideal life partner.

   When it comes to finding love again, clarity about what you want is where it all begins. We’re different people each year, and we keep changing, so it’s a good practice to reevaluate what you truly want for your life and how a relationship can fit into that life. Do you know your own core relationship values and goals? What are your must-haves and deal-breakers?
   
   PRO TIP: Evaluate if you have the time and space for both romance and a partner in your life. Many singles fail at finding love because they simply haven’t made space for the process or the person. If you’re unsure, take my Are You Ready To Meet Your Mate quiz today!
   
   

2. Make sure you’re online by January 1!

   The first Sunday of the new year is known as “Dating Sunday” because it is the busiest day of the year for online dating sites and apps. Are you prepared for online dating success? What do you need to do to be prepared for finding love online?
   
   Consider a new site? Spiff up your photos? Update your dating profile? Add some relevant information that will invite the right person to reach out to you.
   
   In other words, you want to make sure your profile authentically represents who you are and that you’re on the kind of sites that cater to the kind of person you want to meet. One of the reasons online dating doesn’t work for some is that they are simply on the wrong site! If you’re 50+ and looking to get married, you probably don’t want to be on a 20-something casual dating site!
   
   PRO TIP: Say What You Mean!
   If you are looking for a serious relationship, lasting love, a life or marriage partner, don’t beat around the bush, make it clear in your profile! More is less when it comes to finding love: you don’t want lots of matches, you want qualified matches.
   
   

3. Create a Vision Board for the coming year.

   Finding your ideal partner begins with knowing what you’re truly looking for. What you visualize is what you attract into your life, so it’s important for you to have total clarity. Creating a vision board, of both the life you want and the ideal partner you want to share it with, helps to keep you focused, especially when frustrations or influences might tempt you to compromise!
   
   What will you put on your vision board? What pictures, colors, and words represent your ideal life? What activities or lifestyle do you envision with your future partner? You get to create it and it will be there for you as a reminder of what you truly want for your life.  
   
   PRO TIP: Details Matter!
   Get as detailed as you can. The more focused the vision, the more focused your pursuit will be! Before I met my husband, I drew a simple stick figure of myself dancing and skiing with a man. I wanted someone who either shared my hobbies or had a willingness to try.
   
   

4. Share with the “Connectors” in your life that you’re putting focus on finding a life partner.

   Believe it or not, one of the best ways to meet singles is through people you already know! Your friends and family, who love and appreciate you, are some of the best resources for you to meet other relationship-focused people. Don’t be afraid to communicate what you are looking for, and ask them to think about who they know that might be a potential match. Your fans want to help you find that person and see you happy!
   
   PRO TIP: Create a 30-second “Dating Infomercial”.
   This is a pivotal strategy that I teach all my clients how to use. And many have found love through this method! It’s about clearly and concisely communicating what you want, so they can quickly visualize if someone they know would be good for you or not. Focus on what you would value in a partner and the kind of life you want to have with them.
   
   

5. Get involved in activities and events where other singles will be.

   Find age-appropriate activities, events, or organizations where you’ll meet other like-minded singles. There will be those who are also seeking life partners. These can be specific dating events, like speed dating events or activities organized specifically for singles, or community organizations or charities where you will meet similarly interested people.
   
   I met my husband at an activity for a bicycling group for professionals in their 30s – 40s. There are co-ed bowling, gaming, improv, and theatre groups! You choose the right place for you to find new love.
   
   PRO TIP: Choose Places with a Balanced Mix
   When meeting people in real, you want to be in spaces here you are likely to meet both men and women. For example, if you’re a woman looking for a life partner, you’re probably less likely to meet him in a knitting group. Activities work best when there is a reasonably even mix of men and women, and built-in opportunities to socialize.

The New Year brings new hope finding love again!

But real change comes from intentional action. If you want to find love this year, the key is not doing more, but doing what works. When you take the time to prepare emotionally, communicate clearly, and put yourself in the right environments, dating becomes far less draining and far more hopeful. And you are more likely to quickly recognize the right partner when they come along!.

If you’re ready to approach dating differently this time, I can help you create a personalized plan that supports the life and partnership you truly want. You don’t have to guess your way through this process. As my song says, “Never give up on love”! Reach out and let’s find a time to chat.

Here’s to moving forward with confidence and finding love again in the New Year. “Cheers”!