Yes, that's it, it's time to fire cupid. His judgment is questionable, his timing is off, and he seems to take a perverse joy in watching one love struck single pine for someone who, in turn, is pining for someone else. His quarterly reviews have been consistently poor and in this time of economic downsizing lackluster performance cannot go unaddressed.
And just who is going to fill the job opening? You. That's right, YOU. Now, please don't complain that you already have enough work to do and that you barely take lunch as it is - when times are tough we all have to make adjustments. Plus, Valentine's Day is just one month away, so no time for whining - you need to get to it and hit the ground running (oh right, don't forget to be a team player and think outside the box - gotta love corporate America lingo).
Of course, with little over 30 days until the project due date (yes, Cupid left a whole stack of work unfinished for February 14th), you need a plan and ideally some short cuts. Here are five tips that may help you as you take matters into your own hands.
(1) Rework your on line profile. If you've been on line for a while and aren't getting the results you want, perhaps it's time to shake things up. Have a friend whose opinion you value look at your profile and ask him or her for honest feedback on how it could be better so it will stand out more in searches. You may even want to consider hiring a profile expert to give some guidance and objective advice. Maybe it's time to change your photo, switch sites, or modify your search to target new victims (I mean love interests - victims was Cupid's word...).
(2) Get out. The chances of your sushi delivery guy being the love of your life is slim to none, so if you're not out and about it's pretty much guaranteed that you're not going to meet someone. Thus, as obvious as it sounds, if you want to do your job effectively you need to leave the house and attend as many functions as you have time for and can afford. Accept as many invitations to super bowl and birthday parties as you can and try to make an appearance at all of them. Organize a girls or boys night out ... and also make sure to go a few places solo (e.g. Barnes and Noble draws a lot of single people in the evenings and on the weekends and could be a great place to meet someone. Just don't look too immersed in your book so that a prospective suitor would be afraid to bother you). Guys, go to a cooking or salsa class (I am amazed that more men who are looking to meet great women do not sign up for these classes as they are typically filled with all women). Girls, if you can handle the smoke, head to a cigar bar or get tickets for a sporting event like hockey or basketball. Whatever you do, just don't sit at home.
(3) Change your routine. Going to the gym at the same time every day? Time to change your morning work out for an evening exertion - you will be exposed to a whole new set of people. Going to the same Starbucks every morning for your double mocha latte frappucino swirl (ok, I totally made that drink up)? Try hitting a different Starbucks instead or even a new coffee shop altogether - again, you never know when the love of your life is going to be staring at you from across the expresso bar. You get the point - just start changing where you are and when.
(4) Spread the word. Tell your friends that you are following through on your resolutions for 2010 and one of them is to be proactive about meeting someone special. Do they know anyone at work that might be a good set up for you? Do they have any cousins, business school friends, neighbors in their building, etc. that they think you might like? While you might assume that they would have already made the effort to set you up if they had someone in mind, that's not necessarily so - sometimes people don't realize that Cupid didn't do his job properly and mistakenly think you don't need the "help."
(5) Consider hiring a professional. Why not allow someone to help you with your new project? Cupid had no incentive to strike you with his bow, but a professional is paid to be working for you 24/7. Having someone be proactive in finding the right person for you only increases your chances of meeting the "One." This someone needs to "get" you and understand what you are looking for in a partner. Of course, he or she also needs to have the people you would want to meet in his or her database and needs to be trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Who knows, you just might come to see that Cupid should have been downsized a long time ago ...
Ready to get proactive about your love life and get started on meeting that special someone in 2010. Contact Marni at marni@sundayatnoon.com to learn more about becoming a client.
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