Getting Ready to Date After 50

Dating after 50 is a special adventure all its own. Whether you are having decided to date again after years of being single or have recently lost a spouse, you will be confronted with the changing world of senior dating. Today, there are no ice cream shops to meet someone new at and your goals for a relationship are different than they were 30 years ago. But before you can start dating again, there are a few things you should do.

Get to Know You

The last 30-something years of your life have been filled with working, caring for a family and maintaining home. For the first time since you stepped into your future, you are alone. Many seniors have forgotten what makes them-them.

This is a time for you to get to know yourself all over again. Explore activities you used to love and try new things. Ignite that passion that you had in your youth. By doing this you will discover new ways to be single and enjoy your life. This makes dating easier because you will be looking for true companionship instead of looking to fill a void.

Do What You Want

Over the years you have gotten used to needing someone else’s approval for everything that you did. Now that you are flying solo, you can do, say and wear whatever you want because the only person who has to be okay with it is you. There is a true sense of freedom when you live your life on your terms only.

You will notice that you actually enjoy being alone and doing things for yourself. No more fighting over what movie to see or whether or not the opera is a waste of money. You can do exactly what you want, when you want. Establishing your independence again will also make dating easier. You will look for a companion who respects your independence and supports you living out your life on your terms.

Remember What You Used to Love

I’m often reminded of a scene in the popular romantic movie The Notebook where Ali says to her fiancé that she used to paint and she misses it. Her life was so caught up with school and becoming an adult that she put her passions aside. This is true for many of us today. Our passions take a back seat to a variety of other things that are part of our everyday lives.

As a senior, it is your time to reconnect with those hobbies that you once loved and bring them back into your life. After all, you finally have time to enjoy them! Your hobbies can also lead you to finding a new companion and will help you maintain your individuality when you start a new relationship.