So what’s a guy to do? Fear not, having previously been a professional celebrity male groomer for over a decade, , I’m here to share some of my top tips on how to really wow that lucky lady on the all-important first date.

1. Always wear a VGJ (Very Good Jacket). It can change everything, and it will be the first thing your date notices as you walk through the door. Anything from a great leather jacket, to a double-breasted coat. If you aren’t a fashion forward guy, you can’t go wrong with a decent denim or bomber jacket. But if you are more savvy in the styling department, find yourself a well fitted coat like this one from Zara Men’s and you’ll upgrade your outfit instantly.
2. Accesorise with caution – wear a nice watch! Less is more in this department, but keeping it simple with a couple of understated simplistic rings, or a nice watch, and your outfit will really come together. The watch doesn’t have to be flash. Go with what suits your style.
3. Keep it smart casual – Keep your colours neutral or monochrome. Ultimately you want your outfit to be reasonably safe, no garish or bilious motifs or logos. I’m a huge advocate for a crisp white shirt, teamed with well-fitted chinos or jeans and of course a great pair of shoes!  This Reiss shirt is the perfect example for your go-to white shirt.  For something extra, add a sweater, or a bomber jacket, adjusting the colour palette accordingly. Light tones for day dates and dark shades for night dates.
4. No matter how casual the date, pay attention to your shoes – Doesn’t matter whether you are wearing your best new white converse for your trip round Hyde Park or your best new loafers for dinner at Nobu, you can bet she will look to see what you are wearing on your feet. Shoes say a lot about you as a person and are a window into your personality and style. Ensure your footwear is clean, functional and stylish.
5. Book in a trip to the barbers – Either a week or a few days before the all-important date. Now is not the time to experiment with the latest on-trend trim. Stick to what you know suits and compliments your face shape.
6. A little spritz of cologne goes a long way – do not go over kill! Smelling good is just as important as dressing right but we’re aiming for a subtle impact here, not to overpower the room. A spritz of your favourite scent inside your shirt and on your neck is more than enough.
7. Quarter zip & jeans – Quarter zip sweaters are excellent for layering and always look nice. Combine a quarter zip with jeans and Chelsea boots, and you’ve got a fantastic outfit that you can wear nearly year-round.

At the end of the day, the same rules apply as any other day when it comes to getting dressed for a first date; where you’re going and what the weather is like should determine what you wear. Whilst your outfit will change based on the location and weather, having a few core pieces will make picking out a killer first-date outfit much easier.

By Frances B Shillito

The post What outfits to wear on a first date – men’s edition appeared first on Project 143.

From my years of working as a celebrity makeup artist and spending hours on photoshoots and private members bars across the globe, what to wear on every occasion is something that is second nature to me.

Below are my tips on the best outfits to wear to boost your confidence on those ever important first dates:

1. The after work special. If you have a date planned during the workweek and you know you will not have time to change in between, fear not! There are plenty of ways to upgrade your outfit, so you are ready for that swanky bar in the city. Take it from power dressing to smoldering by removing the court heel and replacing with a strappy heel or patent heel (Zara and Reiss are your classic go to here for this look). Add some sparkle by accessorising with a gorgeous clutch bag and pair of earrings. Switch the jumper for a classic blazer, revamp your makeup and you are ready to date the night away! These subtle changes make all the difference, not only to how you feel but the impression you make on your date.
2. The classic formula = Jeans and a nice top! –It is important to feel like yourself and be comfortable on a first date, so if your go-to staple is jeans, pair it with a pretty blouse or lace camisole that add a pop of colour. Team the outfit up with a classic black or white blazer like this one from  Zara.
3. The little black dress – The absolute ultimate classic. You cannot go wrong with an LBD. You are sure to steal the spotlight and your date’s attention when you turn up in the LBD made for you. Keep accessories simple here, let the dress do the talking. The LBD is a look to keep simple, sophisticated, and sleek. Heels, bag, hair, and makeup should all be perfectly simple and beautiful. Maybe even add a red lip and clean eye makeup to really polish the look. Check out the selection at Coast there is plenty of variety for every style that suits!
4. The sexy blazer dress– Balance out any flash of skin with a structured cut. It is super-hot, but polished at the same time. It takes it from power dressing to a power dress. Something like this one from SANDRO at Selfridges, teamed with an elegant black heel – you will be the showstopper of the night.
5. The pretty midi-dress – The iconic silhouette of a midi dress hugs and accentuates in all the right places – and trust me, the guy will take notice. Style it by layering a few necklaces and a more strappy heel and voila, you are good to go! Ted Baker have a fantastic selection to choose from when it comes to midi-dresses.
6. The all-important heels – swap the flats for heels. My ultimate tip is to always finish the outfit with a heel, you will be surprised how even just a kitten heel (for those of you afraid of the stiletto) will completely change the way you stand, walk, and hold yourself.

Once you have put together your perfect outfit, remember to wear it with a smile. Be confident, be comfortable and be ready to have some fun!

By Frances B Shillito

The post What outfits to wear on a first date – women’s edition appeared first on Project 143.

Though someone may tick every box on paper and appear to be the ideal partner, the relationship is unlikely to excite you and last the duration if there isn’t any chemistry. Simply, chemistry is extremely important in a relationship and here’s why.

So, What is Romantic Chemistry?

Chemistry is more than just an initial spark or an immediate attraction to another person, it’s a deeper connection of understanding and a compatibility that lasts. It is one thing to be attracted to someone, it’s another thing to feel as though you ‘click’ both mentally and physically. It’s one thing to want to spend time together, it’s another thing to feel excitement and palpable energy when you are in their company. Though chemistry in a relationship is something that is hard to describe, it’s a feeling we all know and look for in a romantic partner.

Chemistry isn’t something you can manufacture, it’s either there or it’s not, and this is why such importance is placed upon it. Watch any romantic comedy or listen to any love song, and the focus of having chemistry is undeniable. Chemistry may deepen and show itself in other ways as your relationship develops, but it is always natural and organic. It’s something that happens between some people and not others, it’s something that’s felt on some first dates and not others. It can’t be forced, which is why people give it so much weight.

What Does Chemistry Feel Like?

No two people are alike and no two relationships are alike, which means that we experience romantic chemistry in slightly different ways. Some of us experience chemistry as wanting to be with another person at all times, missing them as soon as they leave. For others, it’s a combination of flirty banter and butterflies when they look at you. It could be the desire to be intimate and close by, it could be the ease that comes with being in their company or the fact that there are no awkward silences. In the simplest form, chemistry is a feeling of clicking with another person and feeling excited around them.

What’s a Relationship Without Chemistry?

Of course, there are a multitude of other things to think about when you are dating. Chemistry is important, but it’s not the ‘be all and end all’ of a healthy relationship and there are other things to strive for. If you have been dating for a while, you are sure to have a list of things you want and need from a partner. Trust and loyalty, fun and stability, honesty and humour; they are all elements that make up a romantic relationship that is worth pursuing. Without them, you may feel as though your relationship is lacking in some way or that there is something better still put there. Chemistry? It’s the all important icing on the cake and let’s face it, who wants a cake without icing?

The post How Important is Chemistry in a Relationship? appeared first on Project 143.

Tips for Dating During COVID

Get Creative With Dates – Though lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures are slowly easing, it could be a while before everything is back to normal. Thankfully, that doesn’t need to put a stop to dating altogether. By getting creative with your date activities, you can enjoy meeting new people and potentially meet your perfect match during COVID. If you are not able to sit inside a busy restaurant, head to the park for a romantic picnic. If you want to avoid large crowds, book a table outside a quiet bar for drinks in the city. If you’re not able to attend a concert or theatre performance, take a look for an outdoor event. Though COVID may limit your date plans somewhat, it doesn’t rule them out completely and there are plenty of COVID friendly options.

Be Selective – At Project 143, we place a lot of emphasis on handpicking people to match you with and this is even more important amidst COVID. With many of us wanting to mingle with fewer people, carefully selecting who you date and where you go is paramount. Rather than going on a date because an algorithm says you should, we choose your matches based on you as an individual and what you are looking for. Of course, this doesn’t mean being too picky and not giving people a chance. Rather than wasting your time and energy on someone who you know isn’t right for you, you can focus your attention on those with genuine potential.

Give Remote Dating a Go – If you have been looking to date during COVID, you will know that meeting remotely is hugely popular. With the pandemic going on, many singletons turned to remote dating and this isn’t something that will go away when lockdown ends. Though there are downsides of conducting a date via Skype, FaceTime or Zoom – it’s hard to look your best when your camera freezes and we all know the struggles of an audio delay – it’s a good way to find out if you get on. If you have a lot to talk about and the conversation flows, think about going out on a ‘real’ date when you are able to. If there is no spark and awkward silences aplenty, you won’t have wasted an evening finding out.

Get Back Out There

Like many people, you may have let dating take a back seat during COVID and rightly so. Simply, there were more important things to worry about. However, now is the time to get back out there and dust off those dating outfits. With the world opening up again, there has never been a better time to give dating your all. With Project 143, help is at hand and you won’t be doing it alone.

With lockdown – slowly, but surely – coming to an end, you can afford to make dating a priority again. That doesn’t mean you have to throw yourself back in at the deep end and download a tonne of dating apps, but putting some feelers out there and showing willingness to meet your match can make a huge difference. Though dating during COVID may be daunting and a little out of your ‘new normal’ comfort zone, it’s certainly worth it in the end.

The post Dating During COVID appeared first on Project 143.

We have sent our clients on many dates and the feedback we get sometimes is things like “he didn’t pay for the bill”, “She was staring at her phone the whole time”, “she was talking about herself too much”, “he was perfect in everyway, the date went really well but there was no spark”. Some things are out of your control but a lot of them are in your control and avoidable if you know how to behave on a date and how to steer the conversation so that you are getting the best out of each other. Remember, ‘spark’ is not something that will always be instantaneous and despite what Hollywood/Bollywood movies portray, all dates do not lead to butterflies in your stomach straight-away. Spark needs to be honed and the responsibility rests on both parties – you get what you put in. Be mindful of your own behaviours and also remember people are not always fully themselves on the first date so give your date a fair chance.
Project 143’s Lifestyle coach, Chiedu Hing, has shared her wisdom below:

Flood your mind with positivity

What you focus on expands. Focusing on negative thinking is not advisable as it is more likely to lead to an unenjoyable date. Negative thoughts we often tell our clients to avoid are:
• Past relationships/dates (replaying events, feelings of regret, comparing your date with your ex, talking about how terrible or how amazing your last date was – why are you talking about this with a person you are currently on a date with and trying to get to know with a view to having more date with them?)
• Focusing on what you don’t Iike in a partner.
• Wondering who is going to pay the bill.
• Worrying whether they will like you.
• Focusing on not being physically attracted to your date.
• Feeling that you are not good enough for your date.
• Feeling that you are more attractive than your date.
• Thinking there maybe someone better than your date.
• Thinking you are running out of time.
• Thinking how to get one-up on your date.

Stop with the unrealistic expectations

Don’t have unrealistic expectations about your date, for example (wanting them to look as attractive as a model) or wanting them to make you laugh. All these negative thoughts and expectation will subtly be picked up by your date. They will sense your negative vibes a mile off – even though you might not think so. It’s these vibes which detract away from the potential to build a good, initial rapport with each other.
Instead, think about how you want to be seen, without being fake. What do you like about yourself, what are you grateful for? What makes you smile and laugh? What sort of banter do you enjoy? Bringing these joyful considerations to the front of your mind will help you focus more on your positive aspects and feel more in control of how you want the date to go.

Keep the conversation balanced, light and fun

Remember – it’s good to talk! A date is a 2-way opportunity to get to know each other. Under no circumstances should you bring your past into the conversation – if you want the conversation to be positive then do not go there! If you are asked about your past relationship then politely say its too early to go into detail this stage but you will be happy to discuss if things progress. Be open and keep the conversation balanced between how much you talk about yourself and asking questions. Use your quality time as an opportunity to talk about neutral things. Now, if striking conversation is not one of your strong points this is your time practice, so you can feel more comfortable with holding down a conversation. Always remember to try and expand on your answers, to show that you are engaging. Avoid one worded answers! See ‘James Preece’s Conversation Starters’ below.

Be interested – without quizzing your date too much on their personal life. Ask a range of open questions for your date to give open answers for example, what do you like doing on the weekends? Think about questions to ask which does not make the date feel as if they are being put on the spot.

Stay aware of your body language

Keep your body language open and relaxed – communication is said to be 80% non-verbal, that means that your body will have an important part to play during your date. Give eye contact – when you are talking keep engaged in your date.

Forget the expectations

Have no expectations. When you have no expectations, you cannot be disappointed. You may have read an impressive profile of your date, but the proof will be in the pudding. Instead of having a mental checklist for your date to live up to, go with an open mind, so what if they are shorter, taller, heavier, quieter, louder than what your mind had imagined them to be. Overcome your expectations by giving them a chance to be themselves and not the person you expected them be.

Leave your phone alone!

This should be an obvious one but, so many people complain that their date started to use their phone during their date. Would you start messaging a friend in the middle of an interview? No, so don’t do it on a date!

Get comfortable with awkward silences

It’s okay to not talk for a moment, even though it might feel like an eternity. It doesn’t mean that the date is going horribly wrong. Why do we have to continually fill spaces with conversation? Don’t panic that you have run out of things to say. Simply lean into the silence and smile. Use the time wisely to collect your thoughts, look at your date, what have you learnt about them so far? Are you enjoying it, if not why not? Notice what thoughts come up.

Stay in control

Manage your nerves by taking deep breaths to slow a racing heartbeat. If you are feeling overwhelmed with nerves during your date, take a moment to reground yourself. Excuse yourself for a moment to pop into the toilet. Give yourself a moment to take three deep breaths. Create a picture in your mind of having a great evening, notice how it good it feels when you are just focusing on having a nice time. Focus on having fun and make a decision to enjoy the rest of the date. You’ve got this!
If you are struggling to find anything to enjoy about your date – don’t worry. See it as a learning experience. What didn’t go well and why? What did you learn about your date? What could you have done differently to experience a different outcome? In any event the dating experience is one to be enjoyed – so have fun!

James Preece’s conversation starters

Dating and Relationship Expert James Preece has created a set of conversation starters. You will be surprised at how much these deepen conversation and provides you with a better insight into your date’s personality. These are things that will count not the personal assumptions you have made about the other person before you took the time to get to the really know them. It will also help to create some good banter and hopefully some laughs too. Remember this is just your first date – keep it light.

1. If you were an animal, what would you be?
2. What would your dream job be?
3. If they made a film about your life, who would play you?
4. What was your favourite toy when you were a kid?
5. What is your guilty pleasure?
6. Do you have any phobias?
7. Would you cut off your finger for a million pounds?
8. How would you spend your ideal day?
9. If you could be a fly on the wall where would it be?
10. What would you like to be remembered for?
11. What is your favourite joke?
12. If a magic pixie gave your 3 wishes what would they be?
13. What’s the biggest risk you have ever taken?
14. What is your most prized possession?
15. If you had to wear a t-shirt for the rest of your life with one word on it….what would that word be?
16. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
17. What do you value most in a friendship?
18. What is your most treasured memory?

After your date

Some of you may come away thinking you had the best time and would love to see your date again. Some of you may not have the butterflies just yet but have built up enough intrigue to go for a second date. Some of you may come away thinking that you had a pleasant enough time but you don’t think there is anything at all that sparked a further interest in you. Some of you may come away thinking you had an awful time. Sparks don’t always will fly immediately when you meet. To increase the chances of spark there will be work on your part.

Whatever the outcome of your date remember it is an opportunity for you to have fun and get to know your match. Keep it simple and enjoy the moment.

The post Real Dating Prep From The Project 143 Experts appeared first on Project 143.

Matchmaking in 2017

But what does matchmaking even mean in 2017? Well, it means I don’t have any built-in algorithms and I match people based on who they really are. It’s pretty old school really, I bring people together with similar interests, aspirations, goals and work hard to find just that right mix of chemistry that leads to love.

And that’s what I’m passionate about, giving people the tools, the time and the opportunity to find their ideal match. I want to pull people off their phone or laptop screen and into the real world to talk to each other, to interact and to feel genuine chemistry.

The problem

Online and app dating is here and it’s likely to be here to stay. But for lots of people it simply doesn’t work. We spend 7 times as long now browsing online for dates as we do meeting people in real life. That feels insane. You could be sat on a train opposite the man or woman of your dreams and not even notice them because your head is stuck in Tinder. Why are we dating this way?

Customer satisfaction is incredibly low for online dating and that could be because it involves a whole lot of time in for some pretty disappointing outcomes. You put hours into messaging the guy or girl who has no intention of meeting you or there is simply so much choice you don’t know where to start. Dating apps don’t even really feel like dating anymore it’s like a horrible computer game with your heart and your confidence up for grabs. But it seems like a game we love to play with more than 1.4 billion swipes a day on tinder!

The solution

So, if you’re feeling the frustration and the disappointment of the online world how do you get out there? It’s got to the point where going up to someone in a bar or on the street seems downright weird. How do we break down these walls and start having conversations again? For me, it’s all about relearning those interactions which a few years ago would have been totally normal.

So how do you build that confidence and start those conversations? Well, some of it is just bare faced bravery and some of it is having the right tools or the right questions to make that leap.

You want to avoid the usual dull dating questions. What’s your favourite food? What’s your favourite movie? Giant yawn.

Instead, try and ask interesting questions that prompt a story. When someone starts telling a tale, you engage with them. You get to see a little bit of that real person – that’s how sparks are born.

Who is your hero? If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go and why? What are you passionate about?

Engage people with open body language, smile, look them in the eye and be friendly whilst respecting their personal space. The worst that can happen is a polite conversation that doesn’t go anywhere and isn’t that better than waiting weeks for someone online to reply to a message and never receiving an answer?

Bottom line..

It’s high time we took a step forward into real world dating, online dating is a tool but it isn’t the only one in your tool belt and it should be a step towards real life interactions and not instead of them.

The post Matchmaking in 2017 appeared first on Project 143.

I’m here to give you the real story on dating in your thirties. Read on for the not so scary truth.

You Date Smarter in Your Thirties

So much smarter! Remember those people that were completely and utterly wrong for you in your early twenties? The ones that you dated because they seemed oh so cool or because you got set up and you thought that was just how Asian dating worked? By the time you hit thirty, you know yourself better, you know what you want and you definitely know what you don’t want. All this means you aren’t going to end up wasting days and months on the wrong person.

You’re Not Alone

Ever feel like the world is exclusively populated by happy couples? Are all your friends and family well and truly settled whilst you search on for your other half? It’s easy to feel like the only single person there ever was but I promise you, you’re not. So, so many of us are finding our true match that little bit later in life. One of the best bits of my job in Asian matchmaking is meeting wonderful singletons and helping them connect. I know love strikes after thirty, so don’t stop looking for it.

You’re More Interesting in Your Thirties

By the time we reach our thirties we all have stories to tell. We’ve had experiences, heart breaks and life lessons that make us more textured and interesting. You’re probably at an exciting stage in your career and much more comfortable in your own skin than you were 10 years earlier. The added bonus is the person sitting across from you will be much more interesting as well. Embrace your thirties and the exciting journey that brought you here.

You Have a Relationship History

Most of us, when we move into our thirties, have a few relationship skeletons in the closet. You might be divorced, you may have children or you might have a few relationship hang ups that are hard to shift. Dating in your thirties should be with an open mind and an open heart. All that stuff that makes us interesting and quirky and well, us, can be difficult. Be open, listen and expect your date to have a backstory.

The truth about dating in your thirties? It’s exciting, occasionally tough and absolutely worth it.

Take a deep breath and jump right in, you won’t regret it.

 [Asian dating | Asian matchmaking – Project 143]

The post The Truth About Dating in Your Thirties appeared first on Project 143.

Whilst online dating seems, on the face of it, to offer the perfect solution to the age-old problem of finding true love, in reality things are often very different. With a seemingly endless supply of potential new dates available through dating apps, it’s all too easy to fall into a ‘click and go’ mind-set, where we never really give a date time to develop into something more, before we are scanning for the next potential candidate. If we’re honest, how many of us have met someone via a dating app, and then spent half the first date checking online, to see if other ‘possibles’ have arrived in our dating inbox?

Have dating apps had their day? Is there a better way to meet genuine people? Why not ditch the smartphone and try these six suggestions for finding love the real way?

Take risks

Ever considered that the reason you haven’t found your special someone might just be because you play everything too safe? Step out of that comfort zone and you could find success in your dating endeavours. Try dating someone who you’d normally not consider, say yes to a wild and wacky date location or just pluck up the courage to pass your phone number to that nice guy you see on the way to work each morning. Of course, it’s true that taking risks and injecting a little spontaneity into your life means you might end up disappointed or facing rejection, but you might also find that things really go your way and you release a whole new you!

Volunteer abroad

People volunteer to work abroad for all sorts of reasons, and whilst many people perhaps wouldn’t expect to find romance on a volunteering trip, it is actually fairly common to do just that. Stepping out of your comfort zone and immersing yourself in a new and exciting experience in a far-flung location puts you in the right frame of mind for meeting new people. You’re surrounded by like-minded people, who share your passion for adventure and helping others, so the chances are high that you will find someone special in amongst your fellow volunteers. With no mobile signal in these remote volunteering locations, there really is no excuse for not trying to make friends or find romance.

Join the gym

It might be a bit of a cliché, but the gym is actually a brilliant place to meet someone new. Exercise boosts positivity, and will help you to be upbeat and confident when talking to that certain someone you meet in the spin class or the weights room. Of course, the golden rule for finding romance at the gym is to leave your phone in your locker. You might enjoy listening to your favourite tunes whilst pounding along on the treadmill, but those earphones will kill the chances of any conversation, so ditch them and start chatting instead.

Get social

We’re not talking about social media here, but actually making an effort to get out and about socially. Learn to say yes to invitations, and you’ll soon find yourself meeting lots more people – some of whom might appeal to you romantically. If you routinely cry off from the office drinks on a Friday night, or you keep postponing a night out with mates, try saying yes to these instead, and see what happens. At the very least, you’ll be chatting and mingling with others, which can actively improve your social skills, and you never know just who you might meet when you’re waiting at the bar to get the next round in.

Matchmaking

Another alternative route which avoids the digital screen of a mobile phone would be exploring the route of a matchmaker a.k.a Cupid…

If you are truly fed up of dead-end dating, a matchmaker will spend their time assessing your needs and wants to find a match who compliments your every want and desires in a partner.

Visiting a matchmaker is considered a more direct route to finding love, without the messy awkwardness in between. When the timing is right, you will be paired with a partner who shares the same skills, drive and interests as yourself, so that you are able to talk all night long without having to make that risky phone call to your friend to help bail you out of yet another disastrous dating scenario.

If you’re serious about stepping up your romantic efforts and finding that special someone, it might be time to mute that mobile and reinvent yourself as a real-world social superstar. With a little effort and a bit of courage, romance could, quite literally, be just around the corner.

By Holly Barry

The post Finding Love Without Dating Apps appeared first on Project 143.

Perhaps you are you still looking for “the one”? Well, don’t worry, because I understand how meeting a partner is not always easy. That’s precisely why I’m here to help!

Now I know these cold, dark and wintery nights aren’t very motivating, are they? Sometimes you don’t want to go out, do you?

STOP right there! You can’t think like that!

If you want to find, make, and keep a loving and long-lasting relationship, you have to make some changes. This being so, if you find yourself going nowhere fast, here are my top 20 dating resolutions for the New Year:-

20 dating resolutions for 2017:-

1. Try creating more adventurous and different dates—think beyond just drinks!
2. Don’t waste time hanging out with someone you’re not interested in just because you don’t want to be alone.
3. Say no, if you’re not interested or attracted.
4. Forget your type. Like the clean-shaven man? Instead try a bearded man!
5. Same goes for guys – avoid having ‘types’. Change your preference for long, straight hair and instead try short and curly!
6. End that on-again, off-again relationship. Please don’t waste your time.
7. Do what feels right. If you feel like calling your date the day after you first meet, do so!
8. Make time for dating. Everyone is very busy, but when you meet someone who could potentially be a great match, make time for them.
9. Speak up. If you want to define the relationship, tell your partner you want to take it to the next level. But not when you’re drunk!
10. Be realistic. Don’t create a fantasy where you imagine your honeymoon before you’ve gone on the first date.
11. Be proactive. You’re never going to meet anyone if you’re sitting at home in your pyjamas keeping up with the Kardashians.
12. Leave the bad dates in 2016. Don’t even think about drunk texting them when you’re lonely, bored, or depressed. Stop revisiting the past.
13. Know what you want in a partner once and for all.
14. Don’t settle. You wouldn’t settle for a job that you absolutely didn’t love, so don’t settle for a partner. Imagine how you would feel to learn if your date felt they were settling to be with you. Awful!
15. Stop wasting time over-analysing text messages with friends. No matter how much you discuss it, you may never know what that winky face meant.
16. If they’re not contacting you, let it go. When someone wants to see you, they will reach out.
17. On your first date, be positive and upbeat. Smile a lot. Laugh. Be the person you would like to date.
18. To find a serious partner, date with purpose. Look for dates who you want to share your life with, rather a casual fling.
19. Make the first move. Life is too short!
20. Finally, don’t think there is something wrong with you because you’re still single. There’s nothing wrong with being single!

In conclusion, I wish you a healthy, happy year ahead.

Bottom line, you can find love in 2017 if you help to make it happen.

The post Dating Resolutions for 2017 appeared first on Project 143.

Some reports suggest a six month milestone. Other reports say it’s when couples meet the parents.

But what happens when you pass the six month period? What if you haven’t said or heard those words yet? Should you worry?

No! Absolutely not!

As an asian dating professional, I say, there are NO rules!

Here are 5 things I recommend you to remember about those famous words:-

1. Say “I love you” when you mean it

First of all, you shouldn’t say “I love you” unless you mean it.

And if you mean it, then you should say it – a LOT!

2. Timing ISN’T Important…

Whilst some people stress the importance of timing, for example, ‘go on at least ‘x’ many dates’, or ‘never say it first’, is timing really more important than honesty and self-disclosure?

However, in my professional opinion, there is no precise formula for when to say “I love you.”

As such, you should say it whenever you feel that way, without making calculations about timing.

Thus when love at first sight happens, you SHOULD say “I love you”. You are just expressing how you feel at the moment. There is nothing wrong with that. Because disclosing your emotions is honest, and honesty is great!

3. … But Time IS!

On the other hand, time is key in your relationship, not timing.

What do I mean?

In short, time will impact significantly upon its duration, frequency, and development. Time may also increase trust and honesty between partners. In short, true, meaningful love needs time to develop.

As I explained in Rule 2, whilst it’s normal to say “I love you” after a short time, if it feels right, it isn’t a good idea to say “I love you” after a fleeting moment.

This could imply that you are not really serious about what is in fact a serious matter. You may say that you see great potential for the relationship to grow. Remember, we can recognise potential. We cannot recognise or guarantee its inevitable implementation.

Bottom line, love over time enhances trust and honesty between partners.

4. Should you respond?

My clients ask me if and how, and if, they should respond to “I love you”.

First of all, you don’t have to tell someone that you love them just because they have told you how they feel.

Unless you are 100% sure of your feelings,  say that although right now you do not know whether you love them, you do know that you like them a lot.

Explain that you want to get to know them better, and that you want to give the relationship a chance to grow. This is genuine and heartfelt.

It does not matter who says “I love you” first, or who says it more frequently.

Remember, what really counts is the sincerity and depth of your relationship and how it develops.

5. Actions speak louder than words

Finally, the words “I love you” can also be demonstrated in actions, as well as words.

Couples often express love through everyday actions. This includes things like the receipt and acknowledgment of your partner’s acts of love, their gestures of kindness, generosity and attention.

Hence if you ever start to worry that you haven’t heard “I love you” recently from your partner, take note if they’re showing their love in any of those amazing day-to-day actions.

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