What Do You Really Want From Your Next Dating Experience? Let’s Get Honest!

Here’s the truth no one tells you after divorce:

You don’t just get a “fresh start.”

You get a reset button — but only if you’re brave enough to press it with intention.

Most of us step back into dating carrying old habits, hopes, expectations, and, undoubtedly, old fears. We say we want love, but often we don’t even know what that means for us anymore. Our lives have changed. We’ve changed. And yet we go out here dating like the old version of ourselves.

We are asking:

What do you really want from your next dating experience and your next relationship?

• Not what you’re supposed to want.

• Not what your friends think you should want.

• Not what your ex made you believe you could only have.

• And definitely not what social media tells you looks cute in a couple's selfie.

• What does your heart, body, soul, and sanity need right now?

• What kind of energy do you want walking into your life?

• What does love look like for the version of you that survived, healed, and rose again?

Do You Want Connection — or Companionship?

There’s a difference. Connection is deep. Companionship is comforting. Both are valid.

Some people want someone to text good morning. Some want someone to grow a life with. Both can be beautiful, but they require different levels of emotional energy, vulnerability, and time.

What season are you in?

Are You Looking to Date… or Are You Looking to Heal?

Listen, no judgment — but be honest with yourself.

Sometimes we just want attention. Or a spark. Or a reminder that we’re still attractive and desirable. And that’s okay.

But if you’re still bleeding from the wounds your last relationship left you with, don’t expect someone else to sew you up. Healing and dating can coexist — but know which one is leading.

What Behavior Is an Immediate “No”?

We all have universal red flags.

But what are the personal ones unique to your story?

• Maybe it’s an inconsistency.

• Maybe it’s someone who shuts down during conflict.

• Perhaps it’s someone who wants access to you but not accountability.

• Maybe it’s someone who can’t communicate, can’t apologize, or can’t show up.

Your “no” list matters. It protects your peace.

What Behavior Is a Firm “Yes, Please”? Let’s flip it.

What are the green flags you crave?

• Affection? Respect? Clear communication?

• A soft place to land?

• Someone who can handle your independence without shrinking or competing with it?

• Sometimes it’s not just the people you need to avoid, but also the people your heart lights up for whom you need to recognize and welcome.

What Kind of Effort Are You Actually Willing to Give?

Everyone says they want a great relationship, but not everyone is ready to commit to one.

So really ask yourself:

• Are you ready to be vulnerable again?

• Ready to communicate?

• Ready to risk disappointment?

• Ready to try?

• Or are you still in your cocoon phase, wanting the idea of love more than the practice of it?

There’s no wrong answer — just an honest one.

What Version of Yourself Are You Bringing Into This New Chapter?

This might be the biggest question of all. Dating after divorce isn’t about finding someone better. It’s about becoming someone wiser — and then attracting from that place.

• Are you dating out of fear?

• From hope?

• From loneliness?

• From excitement?

• From growth?
  

Your 'why' matters just as much as your 'what'.

You Deserve Clarity. You Deserve Intention. You Deserve a Love Created for the Real You.

The next relationship you build should be aligned with the person you are becoming, not the person you used to be.

So ask yourself:

• What do I really want?

• What energy do I want to experience?

• What kind of relationship would make me feel safe, seen, and supported?

Your answer doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

It just has to feel true. And that's where your next beautiful beginning starts.

xoxo