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Long Distance Relationships do have their challenges, but with free calling plans, texting, and other forms if digital communication, daters have never been more likely to succeed. Here are a few tips for best success:

Set some ground rules to manage your expectations.

• There’s a conversation that has to happen before you commit to a long distance relationship.
• Determining your level of commitment is the first step. Is it exclusive? Or are you allowed to see other people?
• You should also decide how often you will visit each other, and who will visit whom. This doesn’t have to be set in stone, but managing this expectation upfront is important to the relationship’s long term success.

Keep the lines of communication open.

• Lives are made up of a million little moments, and those are important to share with your partner.
• If you don’t have unlimited texting, download a free messaging app.
• Fill them in on the day-to-day details of your life so they feel involved.
• Send photos or videos of what you are doing throughout your week, whether that be the delicious dinner you just made or a shot of you enjoying a walk with a friend.

Flirt with each other

• Chemistry is undoubtedly one of the most important things between couples.
• Keep it alive when you are apart by sending flirtatious or provocative texts to your partner
• Let them know you’re thinking about them

Get face-time whenever you can

• Many long distance daters make a point to see each other every 2-3 weeks.
• If this isn’t possible, utilize video chat and share an activity. Perhaps eat dinner together over your laptops, or “e-hang” while watching the same movie or show. Shared activities, even over the internet, are still key.
• When you do visit each other, make sure to block that time off for your partner. Clear your schedule of mundane tasks that you could do another time.
• It’s not always quantity of time, but quality of time.

Build and Maintain Trust

• Trust is the foundation of any relationship, but especially important in a long distance one.
• Again, keep the lines of communication open. If you are experiencing a lack of trust, talk to your partner about it. Be honest about your feelings!
• If you are presented with an activity that may make your partner uncomfortable, either pass on that activity or be upfront with your partner that you will be participating in it so they feel included.
• Do not be careless with your partner’s trust because once it is destroyed, it is hard to recover.

Have A Goal for the Future

• Long distance relationships are a temporary situation.
• Be upfront about what your expectations are for the future
• Determine a timeline until the next step. This could be 6 months, a year, or even two years.
• While nothing is set in stone, it’s always best to have some sort of a game plan in place

“The #1 deal breaker for our clients at It’s Just Lunch is negativity,” says matchmaker Julie Amann. “Women pick up on a date’s negativity very fast -- in the first 10 minutes. Meanwhile, men are drawn to women with a positive outlook.” She added, “Smoking is still a big deal breaker. Politics and religion are also deal breakers.”

Why should singles stop focusing on their deal breakers?

“We always advise our clients at It's Just Lunch to look at the positives instead of negatives. No one is perfect”, says Amann.

Start looking for and appreciating a potential partner’s positive character traits. Focus on your “must-haves” instead of your deal breakers. Don’t focus so much on one bad trait that you lose sight of five good ones.

Another key piece: don't fall into the “I can fix him (or her)” trap. As a professional matchmaker, Amann found that most people, especially those who are older than 30, are set in their ways. She suggests “Focusing on finding someone who is more aligned with your lifestyle”.

So how do we drop these dating bad habits and make a fresh start in the new year?

Throw Away Your List
We all want certain things in a partner, but Amann would advise her clients not to stick so closely to it that they miss out on someone who might have potential.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
If you’re doing the same thing every day -- same coffee shops, same restaurants, same bars, same gym -- you’re not going to organically meet the person of your dreams if you haven’t already. Shake things up. Try out new places, activities -- open yourself to new opportunities.

Be an “Invested” Dater
If you’ve been in the dating pool longer than you like, it’s easy to get discouraged. But do your best to be enthusiastic about each new opportunity. Amann tells us her clients aren’t just testing the waters; they’re ready to date. “Whether they’re in their 20's -- or their 70's -- their commitment to the process is the same. Be proactive and want to find the right person for you!”

Does “Prince Charming” really exist?
While it worked for Meghan and Duchess Kate, let’s be real -- many of us have kissed our fair share of ‘frogs’ looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right. While daters are looking for their perfect partner, it’s important not to get caught up in the fairytale. Beware of looking for someone who checks every box on their list. The reality is, people are more complicated than that, and singles should focus on compatibility, not perfection.

How can daters create realistic expectations without compromising too much -- and still find the person who’s right for them?

Forget the Fairytale
Prince Harry probably isn’t perfect in real life, so forget the fairytale! This can be tough, especially if you’re a romantic -- but all relationships take work, and people aren’t characters in a movie. Visualizing an ideal mate may help you figure out what you’re looking for in a relationship, but it can also prevent you from connecting with a real person. Thank goodness, you don’t have to be perfect, and neither does your future partner.
It’s fun to dream big, but real love is action not fantasy.

Look before You Leap
After you ditch the fairytale ideal, be sure you say yes to opportunities for dates, even if someone doesn’t tick every box on your list, they could still end up being a great match for you. Then focus on really getting to know the other person and give yourself enough time to find out if you are truly compatible before either calling it quits or labeling them “The One”.

Be Your Own Hero
One of the traps of looking for “Prince Charming” is thinking that someone else can rescue you from an unhappy life. We are all responsible for our own happiness! Before you can look for Prince Charming, you need to love yourself and be your own hero. That means taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and creating a life you love. Then you’ll begin to attract the right people with your confidence. Ultimately, the goal is for two healthy and happy people to make each other’s lives better.

Where should singles look for their version of “Prince Charming” in the real world?
If you’ve been disappointed with your dates, you may need to switch things up! If you still haven’t met that perfect person at the gym, the grocery store or your favorite coffee shop, it’s time to try a new approach. Break out of your comfort zone and go new places. Push yourself to start up conversations and try new experiences. You never know who you might connect with when you do that.