Step #7 - Know your Dating Goals

The first step to being able to effectively communicate your relationship goals is to know what you are looking for in a relationship.

Before you try and set specific goals, identify your ideal relationship. What type of relationship do you want right now, five years from now, and twenty years now? Do you want to be married? Do you want kids? Where do you want to live? Do you want a specific lifestyle?

Analyze your ideal relationship. Is this ideal is what YOU really want, or are you satisfying what someone else wants for you? Also determine if your dream is realistic. For example, marrying an Australian and living in Perth may not be feasible unless you are in an environment where you can meet single Aussies.

Qualify a set of dating goals from your ideal relationship. Goals should be specific. For example, “be happy” and “marry rich” are too general. What aspects of your ideal relationship would make you happy - having children, living near your family, having hobbies in common with your partner? If you want to marry rich, how do you plan to meet a rich, eligible partner? Apply reality or believability tests to your goals. If you doubt one of your goals can be accomplished, work on it some more.