For many young people, it’s really hard to choose between your love life and your professional development. A busy professional life can seriously endanger your relationships and your dating life. To get ahead at work, you certainly have to sacrifice a little bit of your love life, no matter if you’re freelancing, working 9 to 5, doing night shifts, etc.
This might sound a little disappointing, but there’s no reason to worry—it’s possible to keep up with both your career and your dating. Millions of people are in the exact same situation as you, dreaming about having a successful career and a caring partner. Don’t let your career affect your dating with these practical tips:
Practice flexibility
Almost any job will throw you a curve ball every now and then—a sudden delivery of goods, an urgent email from the boss 5 minutes before your shift ends, someone failing to turn up for the meeting or shift, or any other form of emergency you can’t postpone. In case any of these happen to you, be honest and upfront with your date. Hopefully, they will understand your situation. But, at the same time, be ready to give someone a second chance when they ditch you for their work.
However, if canceling happens every time, followed with some work excuse, expect to lose a little bit of trust from your date. Canceling shouldn’t happen every time—it sends a message that you don’t care about the relationship and will always prioritize your job.
Pick a good date spot
Keeping up with dates when you’re busy can be a nightmare, no matter how much you’re looking forward to your time together. In order to make the arrangement easier on both of you, pick a date spot that’s somewhere around your workplace or halfway from your house and office. This will allow you to take your time instead of having to rush out early to travel all over the city. For quick weekday dates, this is the best date destination.
Try dating apps
Most people go out to pubs, clubs, gyms and social gatherings to meet their potential mate, but what can you do when your job doesn’t allow you to participate in such events? Well, dating apps can be a true lifesaver when it comes to meeting new people. And don’t be scared to think out of the box with these apps! If you know about a legit sugar dating app that connects rich men and beautiful women, feel free to sign up. Apps like this are very straightforward and they won’t waste anyone’s precious time. Plus, there’s still a way to develop a good connection with the person you’re sugar dating—it’s a beneficial arrangement for both parties.
Don’t talk about work
When you’re extra career-oriented, it can be hard to switch off your work brain. If you can’t leave it alone altogether, try to at least ignore your emails and Zoom calls when on a date. Not giving your date the attention they deserve will definitely not leave a good impression and earn you a second date. In most cases, dates involve some mention of your current job and your future aspirations, so don’t feel like you have to avoid career talk completely, but keep your rants about your boss to yourself. No one wants to listen to a 15-minute story about how your boss snubbed you for promotion or how Jessica didn’t do her spreadsheets right.
Incorporate dating into your everyday life
Just because you’re a career person, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy hobbies and social events. But squeezing in your job, hobbies and dating into your already stiff schedule can be hard. So try to mix dating and hobbies—invite your date to your weekly board game sessions or see whether they want to join you for your runs. This will allow you to enjoy all the things that you like—dating, hobbies, fitness and hanging out with people without sacrificing your job.
Put in some effort
When you have a busy and hectic job, you still have to make time for your partner or your date. Your situation might eliminate spontaneous dates, but it leaves plenty of space for something planned and scheduled. We all get busy sometimes, but your partner won’t let that slide forever. If you know you’re swamped all week, make sure to put in some extra effort into your weekend dates. For instance, make it up for canceling your lunch dates all week by organizing a romantic dinner on Saturday or even opt for a day excursion to your local wine cellar or spa.
There really are ways you can have it all—a great career and a beautiful partner, you just have to balance your life and take both your career and dating seriously. By prioritizing each when the time comes, you can have the best of both worlds.