Single and Fabulous!

Who hasn’t, at one time or another been single? Some view it as a curse, something that’s been inflicted upon them like the plague. Others embrace and enjoy it as a chance to break free from the confines of a relationship and everything that goes with it. No matter how you see it at first, we’ve got some tips on how to run with it!

First, explore what you’ve been missing out on. Did your couple status get in the way of your window of time to spend with friends and family? Have weekends passed you by only to learn Monday morning that just a fraction of your to-do list got tackled? Did you ever wake up, take a long look in the mirror to discover that your pre-relationship self was no where to be found? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, now is your chance to use your time differently.

Your new path…
Build a new routine that caters to just you. Being alone affords you the opportunity to do many of the things you never had time for when you had to attend to the “give and take” of a relationship. Get up early to take that hike in the canyon (your lover never wanted you to get out of bed, remember?) or start a meditation practice as the sun comes up (remember to face east for the best energy). Have a singles “Showtime night” or “sports Sunday “where you watch your favorite show or game with a group of same gender friends. Remember that tapas restaurant you liked, but the portions weren’t big enough for your partner so you never went? Throw your next birthday party there! Start planning it now. You owe it to yourself to spend time on some of the things you might have tabled in the past – before your status changes, once again.

Take inventory
Try these tips to get you going on a single-minded journey towards self-satisfaction.

• Conduct a physical inventory of your life. Are you in shape, do you like your hair? We all deserve to feel good about our physical selves, both on our own and in the company of others.

• Take a mental inventory. How are you dealing with your life? Are your moods in check? Are you happy – more than not? Is there room for improvement?

• Notice your space and surroundings. Does your closet or home need an out with the old and in with the new overhaul? Make room for new things and people to come into your life.

Do what matters to you
• Be selfish. This is the one time in your life when it’s okay. Enjoy it, you’ve earned it!

• Take moments each day to enjoy doing things on your own terms, whatever that means.

• Say what you want to do, out loud. Then do what you say, no excuses.

• Stay up late or sleep in.

Self-improve
• Make a point of becoming an expert at something new. Is there a language you’ve always wanted to learn?

• Dare to be different. Do something you’ve never done – because you can. How about taking flying lessons or backpacking through Brazil?

• Actualize your greatest regret, or face your greatest fear.

Socialize solo
• Go to new places both physically and mentally. Hit a museum or library specifically to dip into a topic you’ve never read or been interested in before.

• Take an all-singles cruise or travel trip.

• Volunteer at a new organization.

Yes, it does take guts to go it alone, but you can use it to your advantage. As your first act of liberation, take a big breath… and take yourself out. And, just like any first date, no grand gestures – try something simple like a trip to a coffeeshop or book store. Then, when you’re more comfortable, forge onward to a movie or a restaurant. It can be a great pleasure knowing you can pick your own flick or deliberate over when and where you want to go and what you what to eat. The first step is always the hardest, but the most rewarding.

Single benefits
You might not be confident on the inside, but on the outside, you appear like it. So when you’re out and about on your own. You become intriguing and more easily approachable just by being you. People aren’t afraid to mingle out of a fear of interrupting you. Enjoy the attention, and if you decide to open up to the possibility of mixing with your company, it could parlay into something else. You might come out of the experience with some interesting conversation, more self-aware and you may even score a new friend or date in the process.

Whatever you decide to do with your time out of a relationship, accept and embrace your circumstances. You and only you are singlehandedly responsible for the unfolding of each and every day and your future. Make this time count! Be grateful and feel free to gloat – just a tad. Some of your friends, especially the married ones, may be just a smidge jealous of your independence. You and your single life are fabulous. Now go enjoy it!