It’s almost Father’s Day and you are reminded that not only are you a father, but a SINGLE man. You want to get back out there and date but whoa, do things look different! There are definitely several challenges to being a single dad, such as dealing with the emotional turmoil of divorce, the responsibility of raising children solo and keeping up with the demands of finances and your job. You are forced to wear many hats, juggle schedules all while attempting to look good on a date and attract a new woman of your dreams. It is easy to get lost, depressed and overwhelmed when trying to navigate these choppy waters without preparation or direction. However, believe it or not, dating can be fun and even more rewarding at this point in your life. The key is to create balance amongst the several roles you play, stay focused on what it is you want at this time of your life and re-learn the art of dating with charm. It may have been a decade or more since you’ve been “out there”, and you may feel confused or downright clueless about how to get your game back to attract new women into your world. That is where I come in to help. I am excited to be in partnership with a new matchmaking division of eHarmony called eH+ where we will be doing an event for men here in Los Angeles to help you step up your game and increase your chances of finding love. Details HERE. Below are some sneak preview tools that we will be sharing that will help create that unstoppable confidence to date with success.

Know what to wear on a date. Your date clothes should look different from your corporate look, the daddy clothes or the acid-washed jeans of the 90s that you sported when you last dated. Overall, your dating image should be cool, youthful, sexy, and most of all… updated. Get rid of the pleated pants and the college jerseys. Women really pay attention to how you dress in forming a first impression. Make sure you look at your wardrobe and see if it makes the statement you want and about what you want to attract. Dress wearing something that you feel good in so you come across as a confident, successful alpha man. At the event I will be sharing what key essential wardrobe pieces you should have for a sexy dating image.

Learn how to approach and talk to women. Whether you married young or had been in a long marriage, so many people feel clueless about how to date again. It’s like waking up from a coma and finding yourself in a foreign land having to learn a new language with new social norms. If it has been a while since flirting with women, it might be uncomfortable when first engaging an attractive woman. This usually stems from being nervous about saying the wrong thing, being out of the game a while and/or fear of rejection. Get out of your head. Just be in the moment and talk with her. Don’t just talk about yourself. Ask questions about her life. Be careful not to engage in a Q&A session like an interview with memorized canned questions. Rather strive for an easy conversation. Learn to be more playful and mix it up a bit to enjoy the new you and you’ll see how easy it is to create attraction. Most women love when you give them attention, especially if you say things in an authentic way. The truth of the matter is that your “dating muscle” is atrophied after not using it for a while so you have to exercise it again. We will be doing mock dates at the eH+ event to practice getting your mojo on.

Understand how to meet quality women and create real connections. Dating is definitely different than what it was years ago. Perhaps you met your exes in college at fraternity parties or perhaps you hung out in groups where meeting people was effortless. It is all different now, especially if you are dating with kids and working full time. We also live in a society today where people work far from home, date people in other states and lead busy lives. The problem is that this can generate negative experiences and attitudes about dating, which in turn creates a hardened shell that prevents you from meeting others. Today it’s even more important to make a conscious effort to meet people and learn how to create emotional connections. I often talk about diversifying your dating portfolio. Like in a financial portfolio, the more you diversify, the more you reduce your risk of losing it all and increase your chances for success. eH+ matchmaking division is one of those great ways to be introduced to high-quality women, and increase your chances for finding love.

Getting back out there and stepping up your game can be intimidating. But this is your chance to explore the world and meet various women. By doing this you’ll discover who you are separate from the woman you were with for many years and find out what you would like and need in a future relationship. Make sure you sign up to get my free newsletters, videos and style guides. Happy Father’s Day and happy dating!

This article was originally published on World Lifestyle.