The basic rules of any sporting activity is that a participant must have an objective – whether it is scoring a number of points, completing a task or crossing the finishing line whether they win or not.

The participant needs to coordinate their activities to accomplish their goals, must dedicate a certain period of time to pace themselves, understand what the rules of the activity are and what are considered violations and fouls. They must also understand that substitutions need to be made in the event of incapacities and fair play must be observed.

The same basic rules mentioned above can also be applied to one’s dating life. A person currently in the dating pool needs to know what their endgame is – are they looking for a casual relationship, a serious commitment or a fling? How long are they willing to spend time dating around to find the perfect partner? What are the rules of the dating scene? What are their personal rules when going on dates? What won’t they stand for? Do they need to change their preferences in potential dates? How should they treat others in the dating pool?

And just as there are tens of sporting activities with various rules for people participate in, the same should be applied to the dating scene whereby a person should go around dating as much as they can until they find the perfect partner (sport) for them.

Here’s why:

1. A person gets to discover what works for them. They learn more about themselves when they meet and introduces themselves to new people. They get to understand what will ultimately work for them 10 years down the line.
2. A dating person gets to develop an open mind about the way the world works. Meeting new people exposes them to various life perspectives and lifestyles that they had no idea existed.
3. Dating around gives someone the opportunity to assess what they find compatible with their lives beyond sexual and social aspects.
4. Dating around prevents a person from settling down prematurely. There have been many instances of people settling down for people because they could not be with the person they wanted or having to settle down because babies were had and society expected it. Spending time on going on many dates, again, will allow a person to look for the person they consider best suited to them.
5. Your social network is sometimes your net worth. In dating around, you may end up meeting people who will  grow your social and career networks even though you do not have a romantic connection at the end of the day. The date that ended in a conversation of ‘let’s just be friends’ could be the person who may land you a tender in the future… you never know.
6. Ultimately, you avoid regrets. Dating is all about exploring. If you don’t create time for this, you will begin wondering if there could have been a better person for you out there, if there had been any opportunities you missed out there…

And while dating a lot may be vilified because some people misuse it for one night stands and casual flings, they can be beneficial to people, especially the youth who are looking to find their independent footing in life.