The Difference Between Dating and Dating Well

Single? Hello, your name is "Average American." It turns out that there are a lot of us bypassing bulk food bargains in favor of single servings. In its August 2014 data report, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics revealed that for the first recorded time, more adults are unattached than married in America.

And often, the first instinct of the newly single adult is to be part of a couple again—maybe not in a marital, "let's get this court-stamped" sort of way, but Dating? Sure. A new, better relationship? Please! And preferably, we'd like to be coupled up again before we're passing green beans to Aunt Bev around the holiday dinner table.

But before you toss your online profile into the ring, it's well worth gauging your dating readiness first. Otherwise, you risk treadmill dating—an emotional workout that will wear you out without moving your life forward.

Evaluate the following:

1) Who You Are Today. One of the worst bits of advice my widowed sister received as she reentered the dating arena was "don't date anyone you wouldn't have dated in high school!" Huh? While the intent was, perhaps, to encourage stability, the message—that we are somehow stuck in time with our "beginner self"—is ludicrous. You've changed. Picking someone who fits who you were will chafe against who you are now becoming.

2) Your Confidence. Have you brushed off the dirt and let the wound heal? A tumble in divorce court or the death of a spouse is trauma. There's a rehab period. Racing back into dating too soon raises the likelihood of making need-based choices. These are non-sustainable space-fillers that will waste both time and energy. "I don't want to be alone" decisions only create ruts from which to complain about our lack of good dating prospects. Using Dating as a life patch will work about as well as a spare tire on a road trip. Stabilize your vehicle before you begin the journey.

3) Your Financial Stability. Divorce rarely leaves us with a bigger bank account. Compromised goals and deferred dreams can be difficult to face—but do it. Come up with your own Plan B. If you're aiming for a long-term sustainable relationship, don't allow another person's finances to impact their attractiveness. Your best insurance against using the dollar sign equivalent of "beer goggles" will be gaining traction on your own financial situation before you begin dating.

4) Acceptance. If the divorce playback still has a hero and a villain, you might want to wait for the remake. Rarely is a relationship breakdown a one-person debit. Most often, there has been an ongoing pattern—an accommodation of "unhealthy." The divorce is either a continuation of the dysfunction or an attempt by one or both parties to break free of a rut-digging pattern. Bitterness and rearview regrets will sideswipe forward momentum.

5) Connection. "Great to meet you! Say, would you mind holding my hopes and dreams?" Yes, people do this. It most often happens with the disconnected as they mistakenly tie their future happiness to somebody else's wagon. Guard against this by building connection—good old-fashioned, face-to-face friendships. Creating choices for yourself will allow you to say "no" without fear and "yes" without expectations. Life must be bigger than your next relationship for sustainable love to grow.