It’s Monday and you’re talking on the phone with a nice guy you’re interested in. After some chit-chat, he finally asks you out on a date.
It goes something like this:
Nice Guy: Want to go out for dinner Saturday night?
You: Yeah! That’d be great.
Nice Guy: Cool, I’ll call you later in the week to firm up the plans. I’m looking forward to it.
You: Me too. Talk then.
You like him, and you’re looking forward to Saturday. In fact, you’re already wondering what you’re going to wear and what you’re going to talk about.
Wednesday there’s no call. Thursday there’s no call. Friday morning comes.
You wonder, “Do we actually have a date? Should I call him?”
You’re disappointed or maybe even a little mad. You’re fretting over what to do next. You text your friend and ask, “What should I do?”
Unfortunately, this is a common situation — especially when you’re meeting men via online dating.
Here’s my answer when clients come to me and ask, “Should I call him?” No, don’t text or call him!
I know it’s difficult to wait, kind of painful even. But he asked you out and, although it was up in the air about the details, it was set to do a particular thing on a particular night. That’s a date, right? Wait and see what he does.
This is what you might call “love, on purpose” — choosing specific behaviors and actions to help you more confidently navigate those dating and relationship waters. Whether a man keeps his word is, of course, extremely important. It’s on your list as a must-have.
You want him to know you’re serious about finding a man whose word you can trust, and that you respect yourself and expect him to as well.
What’s as important is letting him take the lead, especially at the beginning.
The woman who texts or calls “just to confirm” sends the signal that she’s willing to accept him even if he doesn’t come through with his promises. And you are not that woman.
That woman also says “yes” when he calls on Friday afternoon for a Friday evening date. She’s the woman he plays with, not the one he marries.
I’m not saying that if he doesn’t get in touch, you should forget about him. Something may have come up out of the ordinary that prevented him from coming through. But it’s important to see what he’s going to do without prompting.
Hold tight! This is where you set the pace for all that comes next.
By the way, there is a way to avoid this in the future.
When he asks if you want to go out and then says he’ll call later in the week, tell him this very kindly:
“I really want to go out with you, but my schedule is pretty hectic this weekend. [Make sure you qualify that it’s this weekend so he doesn’t get the impression you’re so busy that you won’t have time for him.] It’d be great if we could make our dinner plans now. That way we can be sure it works out. Would that be okay with you?”
If he’s serious about getting to know you, he’ll spend the extra few minutes it takes to make a plan, or he’ll commit to when he’s going to call back with details. If he doesn’t do either, it gives you some valuable insight. Maybe he isn’t serious about dating and relationships, after all.
Originally published by Bobbi Palmer on YourTango
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
