Are you single and over online dating and tinder? I don’t blame you! That’s not to say you can’t meet Mr Right (aka soul mate) using these services, but if it has’t worked out for you so far, you’d probably love some other ideas!

Here are 5 ways you can meet Mr Right…

1. At your work or uni (or industry related events). There’s at least 10 people I know of who met their partners at work – myself included! Since I became a personal trainer and coach nearly 7 years ago, 95% of the men I’ve dated have either been a work colleague or member of the gym. I didn’t plan it this way and was definitely open to meeting people outside my workplace (in fact I wanted to!), but it rarely happened for some reason.

And if you’re self-employed? Check out industry related events, such as networking events and workshops / courses / business trips. The world works in mysterious ways; the more you attend events that interest you or involve your profession, the higher your chances of meeting Mr Right will be.

Pros – dating someone who works in your field instantly means some common ground plus understanding of the nature of your work which is nice for support.

Cons – it can be risky to date a work colleague in case things don’t work out (especially if you work in a small office!), but it’s definitely not a reason to not ‘go there’ if you feel very drawn and attracted to someone.

2. Through your friends. This probably is a no-brainer, but meeting Mr Right through your friends or even acquaintances is a beauty! If your friend is having a party, get-together or dinner where there’ll be men there whom you haven’t met before, put on your best dress and get ready to mingle (your style)! Also, be open to giving a blind date a go. I know it might feel unauthentic and totally nerve-wracking, but you just never know. Plus these days it’s never really a ‘blind’ date. Thanks to social media and iPhone’s, it’s not hard to sneak a peek at a photo prior to the date.

Why not even ask your friends if they know of any eligible bachelors who they can casually introduce you to – sometimes putting it out there can really open up some lovely possibilities.

Pros – imagine getting loved-up with a bloke who already knows some of your friends…how awesome would that be? It’s always a big relief when your partner gets along with your besties.

Cons – if it doesn’t work out things can get a little awkward with the friendship circle. Once again, it’s not a good enough reason not to go there in my book. Don’t future trip, just enjoy 🙂

3. Through your interests / hobbies. Before I met my fiancé, an idea that was bouncing around my head as a great way to meet my potential partner was to take up salsa dance classes. I love latin dance and I know two people who met their husbands this way. As it turned out, I met him at the gym (go figure!) which is a massive part of both of our lives in terms of health + fitness which are high up on what we value in life.

What’s something you enjoy doing that could open up your social circle and get you in front of new people? I’m thinking a photography course, art class, cooking class, at the gym, yoga studio, a retreat of some kind, meditation class, paddle boarding lessons, group hiking, acting classes. The list is endless! Get a little creative and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, gorgeous.

Pros – meeting someone who has the same interest/s as you is golden and so incredibly important to a thriving relationship.

Cons – nope. Got nothing. Go for it!

4. On holiday.  There’s something very sexy and exciting about a holiday romance! It’s usually one of those things that happens out of the blue. A friend I grew up with met her husband on a Contiki tour in Europe when she was 22. They’ve been married now for over 10 years! And she had just come out of a 4 year relationship and certainly wasn’t looking for her Mr Right.

Pros – it’s fun, exciting, adventurous and sexy!

Cons – if you meet him in a different city or country, it will mean someone will have to take the risk of moving their life to be with the other person. But this is an adventure in itself and could mean lovely yearly holiday’s to your partners hometown.

5. Stop looking. You’ve likely heard the adage, ‘you’ll meet someone when you least expect it’, right? Well, it’s true. If you find yourself constantly focused on finding him instead of allowing the Universe to bring him to you, you will most likely struggle to meet Mr Right. This doesn’t mean that you can’t put yourself in situations that open up possibilities such as the above examples, but go into these situations with a ‘if it’s meant to be it will be’ approach, rather than trying to force it. Unfortunately, fate doesn’t work on a schedule.

When I was single a mistake I often made when out somewhere with friends, was to be too focused on scoping the area to see if there was anyone I fancied, instead of just enjoying my friends company and having fun.

Can you relate?

I’d often find myself disappointed if no one appealed to me, or if I did find myself attracted to someone, the rest of the night was focused on how I was going to start a conversation with him. I’m sure it made me seem a bit desperado at times!

As soon as I let that go, stopped putting so much pressure and importance on finding someone and started focusing back on myself and doing the things I love, voila! Men started flocking to me.

Pros – when you stop looking it forces you to shift your focus, and this is a good thing. One of the biggest things I work on with my love-seeker clients, is on self-love and creating more fun in their lives that isn’t dependent on their relationship status.

Cons – it may make you feel as though you’re not being proactive, but just a little shift in your mindset will change that. As mentioned above, you can still put yourself in situations that open up possibilities, but you’re not necessarily going into these situations thinking you’re going to meet Mr Right and fall madly in love (although it does happen of course!).

A few other ways:

• on a plane
• your local supermarket
• in your neighbourhood (have you met your neighbours yet?)
• community events
• your local farmers markets
• your kids school or through her/his activities (if you happen to be a single parent)

Tell me…

What is your biggest block around finding your soul mate?
How often do you date?
What would be your ideal way of meeting him/her?
Has the post given you a few more ideas?

Image via here.