Online dating
If you haven’t tried online dating before and are thinking about it, one key advice is to spend time working on your profile. Do you have any interesting hobbies? You may want to mention it. What would your friends say are your best qualities? Your profile should paint a unique picture of the kind of person you are. If you’re already on the internet dating scene, you may want to spruce up your current profile. Think of ways to make yourself stand out, and include a profile picture if you don’t have one already. Instead of making generic statements like ‘I love hanging out with friends and family’, say something like ‘my ideal evening would be…’ Give enough information to pique someone’s interest. It’s not quite a job you’re going for, but you do have to make the right person want to find out more about you!

Make the effort and step out of your comfort zone
It may mean joining a class, going to more events, or even just agreeing to go out with friends. It might be worth joining a Meetup group as an opportunity to meet people from different walks of life, but with similar interests to you. Try something different; you may be surprised at what you’ll enjoy!

Develop yourself
A more confident ‘you’ is a more attractive ‘you’. Read more books, consider volunteering, learning a new skill or even developing the ones you already have. Spend time with people that inspire, encourage and challenge you. Take pride in who you are, pay attention to your appearance and do more of what you love. Travel. All of these will give you a sense of purpose and fulfilment. When you’re satisfied with your life, it shows, and actually draws people to

Be yourself
This may sound contradictory to some of the points above, but it’s not meant to be. If you’re keen on meeting that special someone, you have to be ready to let the people you meet get to know the real you. Besides, what you think may be weird about you could be your most attractive trait to someone else. Don’t pretend to be what you’re not to try to get someone’s attention. The right person will be attracted to you, warts and all.

Look closer to home
There is a Nigerian saying that translates loosely as ‘what you’re looking for far away can be found right under your nose’. You may have friends or acquaintances you’ve ‘friend-zoned’ and never considered in a romantic light. However, if you have similar interests and values, why not organise a lunch date or day trip and see if there may be a spark? I know a couple that did just that and have now been married for over 8 years!

I hope the above helps. Do you have any other tips for meeting people?