I often hear single people say that there are no good men or women out there.  I wholeheartedly believe that assessment is inaccurate.

There are plenty of good men and women out there. The issue may not lie with the fish that are caught, but rather the bait being used and where the line is cast.

Ask yourself, honestly, would you want to date you right now? Are you fishing in a pond of convenience and desperation; or are you casting your net in a vast ocean of fish that have similar interests as you?

As a relationship life coach, the best advice I can give singles seeking companionship is to work on yourself, stretch beyond your comfort zone and be open to receive—in other words be approachable.

It is imperative that you work diligently to become what you desire in a mate. If you want someone that is financially sound, well-traveled, honest and loving, you must be able to give all of those things to a potential mate. Don’t ask for what you, yourself, can’t give.

You must also be willing to reach beyond the norm to find companionship. Get off social media and go out and actually meet real people.

Stop waiting for your friends and family to hook you up. Change your fishing holes from the club, church, your inbox, and the grocery store to places that offer adventure with people that have similar interest.

Last but not least be approachable when you’re out and about. Your mind might be open to seeking companionship, but your body language might say, “Closed under construction.”  Smile, return eye contact, speak and get your head out of your phone. Simply let someone know you might be interested in getting to know them.

Once you put these things into play, you’re now ready to take action. Stop campaigning from the sideline, it’s time to get out and shake hands and kiss babies. You must Get Up, Get Out and Get Busy meeting people.

To get a different outcome, you must take different actions. I have listed some fun things you can do to meet people and expand your dating circle.

9 Practical Dating Options for Real Singles

Busy Bodies
If you’re active, Google fun activities like hiking, cycling, roller skating, dancing clubs in your city, then dare to go to their planned events and have a good time.  You’ll meet people ranging in age from 20 to 50 with a wide range of interest that love mountain climbing, sky diving or white water rafting just as much as you do.

Cooking up Love
Take cooking classes. Cooking is very intimate and sensual. Sign up for cooking classes in your city. You get to have relaxed conversation with someone while learning how to prepare a meal. Best of all, you get to sit down and eat your delectable delights in the company of other budding cooks.

Exploring Interest and Hobbies
Go to meetup.com and find groups of people that have the same interests and hobbies as you. I love this concept. You simply type in your interests, such as: reading, art, politics, poetry, etc. and hit search, and it will bring up established groups that fit your description within a 25 mile radius of you. You can expand the mile radius if you wish.

Each of these groups have regularly planned activities to meet up and socialize. This is not a dating website. It is a network of groups that you can join in order to meet other people who share your interest. It is a great no-pressure way to meet people who have similar interest as you.

Unlocking Love
Lock and Key Events are the ultimate ice breaker mixer where men get keys and women get locks. It is a great interactive way to socialize and meet new people and make new connections. Think about it as a turned up happy hour with a purpose.

This is the perfect event for social butterflies and shy individuals, as there is a guarantee that you get to approach and be approached several times during the event. You have the opportunity to mingle and meet between 50 to 100 people in one evening.

Unlike speed dating, you get to talk to a person of interest as long as you want.  Go to lockandkeyevents.com to register and reserve your spot for the next event in your city.

Fine Dining
If you enjoy fine dining in upscale restaurants, join a Singles Dinner Club. These clubs are social organizations for professional singles who enjoy trying new restaurants and culinary events. Dinner clubs also host lunch and brunch events as well.

It’s Just Lunch is a dating service for professionals with demanding careers. Clients are hand selected and matched for pre-arranged lunch or drinks after work. They hand select matches for each client and make all the arrangements for lunch or drinks after work.

8 at 8 is when four women and four men meet to have a dinner date at an upscale restaurant. Parties are matched by age, interest and background.

Each group has a host that will greet and seat each guest, make introductions, buy the first round of drinks, and ensure that everyone gets a separate check at the end.

This is a mature way to meet singles and enjoy an elegant and fun evening out.  8 at 8 claims to be responsible for more 300 marriages. Visit their site at 8at8.com to join the fun.

Sip and Seek
Wine enthusiasts should look for local wine events in your city.  This is a great way to meet other singles, sample delicious wines and discuss everything from vintage wines to vineyards. Everyone is welcome from novice to connoisseur.

Snowflake Flirt–ies
Ski clubs, such as the Atlanta Ski Club, are not specifically single’s groups. They do however have a lot of single members and hosts numerous events. They plan ski trips as well as other trips, so you can meet someone on the slopes or on the beach.

Friends and Food
Gather a group of friends (3 to 4 friends), pick a cute live/shop/play neighborhood, and have a progressive dinner. This is similar to bar hopping, but it’s food hopping.

Have appetizers at one restaurant, walk to another location and have dinner, and walk to the final restaurant for dessert and drinks. These trendy neighborhoods always have people out and about. They often have festivals, farmers markets, and other great social events going on. This is a great way to meet a range of new people in one night.

Single in the City
Go to your city’s tourist attraction sites and look for what your city has to offer. Visit parks, go on walking tours and visit the must-see attractions. You never know, you may meet someone that has just relocated to your city and is looking for companionship.

Try a scavenger hunt. There are a lot of professional Scavenger Hunt companies that plan fun creative hunts that you can sign up for. You can go alone and be added to a group. Or go with a group of friends and compete against other teams. Competition breeds connection.

Are you single and looking for new and exciting ways to mingle? Please go for it and try some of these options. Singles don’t get discouraged and become complacent. You can’t meet people sitting at home on the couch binging on your favorite television show.

BMWK single, what other great spots to you meet interesting people?