Many women find themselves single again after a long marriage. And, a lot of them start looking for a new husband or partner with a better fit and a much better outcome. All of those painful experiences can put you in a much better position to find true love.
But, if you’ve been in a long-term relationship for many years, you are probably seriously out of practice when it comes to dating. Put your best foot forward by avoiding these common mistakes that women over 40 make.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #1: Rushing Back Into Dating
Divorce and breakups are challenging experiences and can feel like being on an emotional roller coaster ride. Maybe you need time to recover before rushing into dating. Focus on taking good care of yourself and getting some stability in your life. Spend time with your family and friends, find activities you enjoy, and spend some time alone processing the changes in your life.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #2: Posting Old Photos
Don’t set yourself up for failure by posting a photo of you when you were 10 years younger or 10 pounds lighter. Sure, you want to put your best foot forward, but you don’t want him to wonder what else you aren’t honest about when you meet in person. You also don’t want to set yourself up to be rejected when you meet.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #3: Not Considering Your Must-Haves and Deal Breakers
You have learned a lot from a very important relationship that didn’t last. Now is the perfect opportunity to figure out what went wrong and what choices you can make differently next time. Look deeper than the surface and figure out what you need in a relationship to make you happy. Is it trust? Good communication? Approach to family?
If your deal breakers are infidelity or major incompatibility with finances, make sure that you don’t pick a second partner with similar issues to your first.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #4: Not Being Selective
You might feel overly grateful to be asked out on dates if you’re out of dating practice, but it’s good to be somewhat selective. You don’t need to meet with every man who asks you out or writes you online. It’s too time-consuming and you want to develop a sense of how to narrow the dating pool to the men who are most likely to be a good match for you. Don’t use an arbitrary checklist because you might weed out a few potential keepers.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #5: Making Snap Judgements
Whether you’ve decided he’s Mr. Right or he’s all wrong for you, be careful about making quick decisions based on little information. It takes time to get to know a man. You don’t want to assume that you don’t need that time to figure out whether or not he’s really right for you. You may be looking for flaws in a man because you’re scared or you could be rushing to fall in love because you’re lonely. Either way, take your time to figure a relationship out.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #6: Taking Dating Too Seriously
You may be afraid of getting hurt again after a difficult breakup, but you don’t want that fear to cause you to be negative about men or come off as needy or desperate. When you want that connection, you might have trouble tolerating the uncertainty that dating involves. Many women will try to cut to the chase and skip the flirting and fun parts of dating, but that isn’t very effective. Men will see you as needing reassurance or grilling them for answers, which can kill any potential spark.
Over 40 Dating Mistake #7: Not Appreciating Your Value
Many women over 40 assume that there are no quality men available at their age. Or they believe that men their age only want younger women. Don’t make snap decisions about men that come from a negative, fearful place. You’re an incredible woman who has a lot to offer to the right man. If you don’t believe that now, then it’s time to work on having a better mindset about yourself.
Your Next Success Step:
Want to learn about how dating over 40 can give you an edge over the competition? Sign up for my FREE guide, Dating Over 40? Know Your 7 Secret Advantages.
Do you make any of these 7 mistakes? Which are you going to stop making now?
