This is the most important question that you should ask yourself before you even set out looking.  You take a grocery list with you when you go to the grocery store don’t you?  Then why not do the same in your dating world?  No I don’t mean to actually carry the list with you, but one that you work on at home so that you know what you’re looking for before you start dating.  For example does he smoke, well if you do, this should not be a problem, but if you don’t then this is not a good start.  Remember, when you first meet someone you may shrug away quirks, but let’s be truthful, those cute little quirks today, will make you want to bash you head into a wall in the future.  How about distance?  And don’t fall for that “if you love something set if free crap,” this is usually a recipe for disaster, however, there are always exceptions, but these are rare.  I recently spoke to a girl who met a guy at a college party and they hooked up, and lo and behold she soon found out that he has the “in a relationship status,” on Face Book with their picture as an opening line, even though he told her that he was single, and by the way his girlfriend lives overseas.  What about the thousands of online dating sites?  Do those really work?  I’ve heard stories that some actually do, once more these are probably rare cases.  Let’s face it, if you are meant to meet, it will be anywhere that you happen to be.  Chance encounters are actually nature’s synchronicity and it also means that it was the right time for you to meet.  A very important, no strike that, an EXTREMELY important element in meeting anyone is the state of mind that you are in.  Are you happy, secure in your job/work, have friends to spend time and have fun with, are doing well on your own and are fine if you do not have a significant other, but having one will only enrich your life?  Then this is the perfect time to attract the same type of person into your life.  Because, if you are unhappy, having a difficult time with your job/work, never hang out with your friends or go anywhere or want to do anything, and think that having a mate will turn your life around, then this is the wrong time to seek out a mate.  For he/she will NOT solve your problems, he/she will only add to them.  Remember that like attracts like, and in the Universal law of attraction, you will only attract back to you the thought patterns that you are emitting out into the Universe. This is exactly why you see some people date losers in succession, their entire life, as in the term “what am I a jerk magnet”?  Well, yes, you are, because that is your thought pattern, this is the energy that you sending out into the atmosphere and that is exactly what you will continue to attract.  So make your lists of pros and cons, and include yourself too, and make sure that your life is going well before you start searching, and that way you will see everything in your life that needs correction before you set out on a fool’s journey and meet up with another