Spring clean your love life...

By now you've probably ridden yourself of the guilt of abandoning those new year's resolutions and are looking for that perfect match to spend those long summer nights with - dreaming about enjoying the late evenings in the park over a bottle of wine or two, maybe even planning a holiday for the two of you and flicking through online photo galleries at the destination of your choice - BUT there's a problem, at the moment the holiday is only booked for one.

Whilst sorting through your household chores, giving your nesting pad a good spring clean - why not think about our top five tips and take the opportunity to spring clean your love life too? By the end of the month, when the clocks leap forward, there's no reason why you shouldn't have a spring in your step too!

Your profile

If you are stuck as to what to say, you can always email a few friends and ask them to describe you at this time of year in approximately 20 words. You could then add this to your profile, literally saying -'this is what my friends say about me'. Writing something within the free text area of the site, even if it's from a friend, is so much better than leaving it blank and it will get people to get in touch.

Your photo

You'll know yourself that when you have been looking through other members' photos you really want to see the person behind the 'greyed out box', and you may decide not to contact them because you can't visualise the member. We know that profiles with photos get significantly more contacts than those without, and on this site, you can even upload your photo and ask for it to remain private, so members have to ask you to see your photo. This is a really helpful tool if you are a little shy, or worried about people seeing you on the site. (NB: A private photo doesn't mean of an adult nature, more that the member doesn't want to be visible to all!)

Your social diary

Your diary is probably clogged full of daily chores, the work to do list from hell and if you are really honest with your diary keeping about once every two months there will be a hair appointment, but that will probably be the only hour you spend on yourself in two months! Look at your weekends - seeing couple friends and family? Set aside at least one weekend every six weeks where you endeavour to find a date, or go out with other single friends for a Saturday night social drink. It may even be that you go out with other work colleagues - but a work event, even if it's a work birthday, really doesn't count! This has to be a night where you go out and have fun with friends.

You could take this opportunity to contact another member and go out on a date with them. It doesn't have to be anything heavy just commit to yourself that at least once every six weeks will see you go out and enjoy your single self!

Your contact diary

Have you got what you'd call an old fashioned little black book? I guess these days it's a little blackberry… whatever shape and size your contact diary comes in have you been through it recently? Do you have the numbers of eligible single people, or single friends who know single people? If your contact diary is looking a bit slim, get out there and get chatting to your friends and work colleagues in a bid to boost that flagging address book! In addition, go through your online dating mail box and de-clutter it - especially if you've been online dating for a while. Refresh yourself with the profiles of contacts you've made and if you think they are worth another punt, re-contact them again. In the spirit of increasing your contact diary, make an effort to contact at least two people a week - and if you work on having a single night every six weeks that's potentially 12 people you could be choosing your date from!

Your dating outlook

If you've been single for a while, or just a few weeks, looking for a potential partner can feel like a lonely process, but it really doesn't have to be. Using an online dating site helps to take the stress out of looking for a date, as you know that there are thousands of people, just like you, all looking for that perfect match. On this dating site there are great tools like daters diaries where you can upload, read and comment on yours and other members' dating experiences, creating a great online community where you can ask all sorts of questions. You also get to read the success stories of others - which, if you've been dating for a while, can boost your confidence knowing that this method of looking for that perfect date does work!