I get it. Dating can wear you out and lead you to the “I’m just not lucky in love” or “All the good guys are taken or are gay”, or “I’m concentrating on me right now” zone, all of which keep you from having to go “there” right now. But let’s face facts: Getting deflated by a string of bad dates simply does NOT get you any closer to a good one.  So… it is mission critical to maintain your dating endurance. To do so, keep the following impossible-to-argue truths in mind the next time you consider a temporary dating retirement.

1. Dating is a game of numbers. The more you date, the better your odds. So if you are convinced that the pool is shrinking… hello, do you really have dates to waste? I didn’t think so.

2. Love laziness leads to lonely nights. If you want to achieve success in the dating department, you have to put as much blood, sweat and tears into your love life as you do into in the other areas of your life that you want to feel fulfilled in. You get out what you put in.

3. There is always the one before the one. The magic of love is that no one ever knows when the one will arrive or what package he will arrive in. Therefore, you simply must be available to love so that it when comes knocking on your door, you are there to answer it.

4. Mr. Right is not at the bottom of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Wallowing in pity will get you absolutely nowhere. Unless you want to marry the pizza delivery guy, you better dust yourself off and keep trying!

5. Your heart is an incredibly strong muscle. No matter what your prior or even current circumstance may be, your heart’s resilient nature and your inner optimism can carry you through a string of lousy dates towards a great one.

Still not sold? Here are three things you can do right NOW to help you stay in the dating game:

1. Get a dating buddy.  Ever get tired of your workout regimen? Of course, we all have and the perfect remedy for it is a workout buddy. Well a dating buddy can work in the same way. Simply enlist a single girlfriend; you will encourage each other to get off your booty’s on Saturday nights, re-sign up for online dating, start wearing makeup again and so on – whatever it takes to stay motivated to date.

2. Create a success chart. Develop small, measurable goals to get you excited about dating. Things like flirting with 3 guys per week, signing up for online dating, putting together 5 new date outfits, letting 10 people know you are “on the market” and so on. Write these down and when you check one off, celebrate it! Celebrating small successes will keep you motivated.

3. Hire a dating coach. Remember when you sucked at geometry so your mom hired a tutor to help you and keep you on track to avoid failing? A dating coach can provide the same, only let’s be honest, this subject matter is a lot more fun. A dating coach can offer many services from helping you see/knock down your personal dating blocks to creating a killer online profile for you, plus he/she will hold you accountable to your dating goals to ensure you succeed.