For many singletons, it feels like the return on the investment you make while dating will never pay off in love. When your dating life feels like a hamster on a wheel, it's hard to feel positive about your future. But it is definitely possible to bloom where you're planted, as they say. Consider a few ways that you can stay positive about your love life when it seems like, date after date, it's going nowhere. First, raise your standards. Keep an open mind about guys you choose to date, but too many bad dates with guys who you'll never click with is sure to get discouraging. If you find that dates don't end well with a certain "type" of guy, then cast your net wider for different types of guys. Consider younger men if all you've been dating are older men, or vice versa. Take breaks from dating when you feel burnt out, and change up the venues and activities of your dates.
If you find yourself defaulting to the usual dinner-and-a-movie format each time you go out, then try something new like going to an art gallery and having coffee afterward. Use dating as an opportunity to treat yourself to something fun, like a manicure or new accessory. If you feel like you need a break from dating, then take one. Don't allow yourself to get burnt out and tired by going out with anyone, anytime - all the time. A dating vacation will allow you to return to the scene refreshed, renewed and perhaps with a different perspective. Finally, keep your eyes on the prize. A great long-term relationship is the payoff for enduring the bad dates - and it can happen if you stay positive.