In dating, it's very easy to focus on the other person - whether you're swiping on Tinder, perusing a dating site, or meeting face-to-face. We naturally focus on who we want to meet. You probably have a very good idea of the look and qualities of your ideal partner.
Of course it's important to pay attention to who you are meeting and who you to focus your attention and efforts on connecting with. However, there's a really big piece of the equation that is easy to overlook.
And that missing piece is who is looking for you.
You know yourself, you know your own character and your own heart, so it is easy to take it for granted that other people will easily see the truth of who you are. But in dating, that is often not the case.
Other people are making the kinds of quick judgments about you - your looks, your personality, the words you've written in your profile - that you are making about them.
It's pretty basic, but as a dating coach I talk to people everyday that seem to have forgotten how much of the other person's desires and judgments they have to take into account when thinking about their dating strategy.
So it is important to ask yourself the question - how will my ideal partner recognize me as his or her ideal partner?
Check out the video above for some tips on how to put your best foot forward.
Happy Dating!
Francesca is a love and lifestyle coach for singles. You can catch her as a regular expert guest on NBC's The Today Show, and on The Hoda Show on SiriusXM's Today Show Radio channel. Get more dating advice, and even book a free session at francescahogi.com!