4. Get your health (physical and mental) in order.
If you’re feeling insecure about your weight or your stamina, get yourself into the gym and start a diet or meal-planning. If your depression or anxiety is creeping up on you, go see a therapist. Don’t divulge in a relationship while you feel like your health is not in balance. This is the biggest, most important thing you can manage before ever stepping foot into a first date with someone. If you are not healthy, you will not be happy – both mentally and physically. Feeling good about yourself is important to not only a relationship but your life overall. If you’re down on yourself and you’re not at your best, your relationship will inevitably suffer.
5. Be financially independent.
If you’re looking to be with someone long-term, you can’t expect them to pay for everything you do. Being an adult means you’re financially independent, away from your parents and anyone else who has helped you throughout your life. You need to know how to rely on yourself because you cannot always rely on your partner for everything. This is as important as moving out. Pay your own bills, manage your own chequebook, don’t rely on your parents to pay your phone and car insurance. There’s a point in time where you have to cut the chord.
6. Have a solid group of friends.
Girls are petty and caddy and to be honest, not all friendships last forever. But, it’s really important to have at least 2 really good friends in your life before you get serious with someone. Chances are, your significant other has friends and they’ll want to spend as much time with them as they do with you. Don’t ever make your partner feel guilty for wanting to see people other than you, you need separation and independence for any relationship to blossom and/or function. You can’t spend every waking moment together, it’s toxic. Having a solid group of friends means you’ll feel good when you see them and not as though you’re “forced” to see other people just because your partner wants to. That’s ridiculous and unhealthy.
7. Do something that’s totally not “you.”
Do something that you would never do before, like horseback riding or sky-diving. Something that’s out of the box for you and really give yourself to it. Maybe you’ll take a class on something you would never have before, maybe you’ll send your writing samples in to get published – something that screams “adventure.” Doing this will broaden your horizons in life and open your mind to the ability to try new things. When you date someone, everything will be “new,” unless you’re dating a carbon copy of yourself in which that case – boring. You’re going to try brand new things, experiences and adventures when you decide to settle down with someone – it’s important to know how to really give your all and how to be 100% into it.