Do you feel your love life balance is out of whack? Six questions to ask yourself to find out if you are neglecting other important parts of your life.
Do you take your work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
Do you go to sleep counting money not sheep?
Do you forget you are a woman now and again?
Do you love your business calendar more than your social calendar?
Do you live to work?
If you answer yes to more than three of these questions it is time to make some changes in your life’s priorities.
Never talk about your work too much on a first date. When someone is truly passionate about something, they tend to spend too much time talking about it and this can be a turn off for any new date. Instead, invest your date time into asking questions and getting to know what your date is passionate about. It's always a good idea to talk about yourself, so long as you allow him to talk about himself too. Tell your date a little bit about where you are in your life right now, a little of your past, not just the good bits, and where you hope to be in the future, be honest.
Turn off your phone when you are on a date. Getting a call or text message in the middle of a new date is off putting for your date, so let him know some things are, indeed more important than work and he is one of them.
Talk about your hobbies, your pets and what you are passionate about, the things you like or the things you like to do, as this part of the conversation is where you'll hopefully find some things you have in common or not.
Always talk about how you came to actually meet each other and complement something you notice about the person you are with, maybe what they are wearing or their hair style, eye colour, watch etc.
Leave your baggage at home with your work schedule. Always avoid taking about negativity, unless asked, and just keep focused on the positive things about your past, we all make mistakes in love and you may just find some common ground.
Be yourself and be real, you want someone who likes you for all you are, not who you are pretending to be to impress in the moment.
Don't dominate the whole conversation, ask your date about them and listen more than talk, especially if your head is full of work stuff you did not leave back in the office.
Don't rush things and don’t be too quick to judge because often with time, people can grow on you. Equally, don’t get too emotionally involved too quickly, it will make you look desperate.
Communication is an integral part of any relationship and your new date may work in an industry completely different from yours, so in order to be able to make them feel important and show them you’re genuinely interested in what they do, try and read up about his company and industry before you meet. This will make him feel special and appreciate the effort you are making about his work.
Sometimes workaholics are so focused on work, they forget to show interest in others and so appear selfish, self-obsessed and boring.
Once you’re over the first date and in a relationship, in order to keep it alive, always make quality time for him and never cancel.
Photo by: Adrian Naranjo