The first way to be brave is to…

Say yes more!

Say yes to more dates, more activities, more meetups and more opportunities. Chances are, you’re more likely to meet someone if you attended more social events or said yes to more opportunities to meet like-minded people.

You’re more likely to find out if there’s the opportunity for a relationship if you said yes to a date, even if you’re not sure at first. Now, if you’re like me and most days would rather curl up on the sofa and watch TV, this won’t come easy and might require a bit of effort. But it’ll be worth it I promise.

Look out for opportunities to meet people, or to get to know someone better, and take them. Don’t worry if you don’t like big gatherings either; you could just pick the ones that you’re comfortable with or decide beforehand that you’ll stay for just an hour, then leave. You never know who you might meet in that first hour of the event.

And even if you don’t meet anyone ‘special’, getting in the habit of saying yes to opportunities will increase your chances in the long run.

You could also be brave by being the one to ask the question and invite someone somewhere!

Think outside the box

If you want to get a different outcome, you’re going to have to do something different from what you’ve been doing. So, think outside the box and be creative. Look for fun or unusual date ideas to try with someone you like or are considering a relationship with (there are lots on the Christian Connection blog). Whilst every date doesn’t have to be ‘exciting’ or high energy, something unusual will be much more likely to be memorable and appreciated.

Step out of your comfort zone

Stepping out of your comfort zone could mean different things for different people. Perhaps you’ve only ever dated people in your church, or from your denomination. Why not consider someone that attends a different church or denomination?

Or maybe the thought of dating outside your race or even geographical location hasn’t crossed your mind. You could be limiting yourself and missing out on meeting someone really special.

If you haven’t tried online dating, give it a try and take the first step by saying hello to someone you like the look of. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work out immediately. Just keep trying and putting yourself out there.

Make an effort with your online profile

Speaking of online dating, the first step is to create that online profile. But don’t just stop there. Put up your pictures. (When I tried online dating, I didn’t click on the profile of anyone that didn’t have a picture up – I needed to see who I was chatting with!)

Put enough information on your profile and sell yourself (but not in a cringey way). Just tell people who you are, and what’s great about you. You may find it a bit awkward at first, but the truth is that people who put effort into their online profiles are likely to get more hits than those who don’t. It shows that you’re serious about meeting someone. So, don’t be shy, go for it!

Take things to the next level

If you’ve done all of this and have met someone you like, know when to take things to the next level. And by this, I mean asking them out if you’ve been messaging, confirming your relationship status if you’ve been wanting about taking the step, or even – dare I say it – proposing, when the time is right.

There’s no point just messaging for weeks, when you can arrange to meet up in person, or dating for years on end when you know this is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Be brave by prayerfully taking that next step when you feel the time is right.

Being brave is sometimes about feeling the fear but doing it anyway. When we’re brave, we knock on doors and hope they open, grab opportunities that come our way and take action even if we don’t know exactly how they might work out in the long run. It’s the same with dating.

Unless you’re brave enough to do what you haven’t done before, you may not see the kind of results you want in your dating life. So, what are you waiting for? This new year, make the decision to be brave.

How could you be brave this year?

Read more by Urenna Kiwanuka here