7 Tips to Crush Online Dating for January 2025
January: the Olympics of “new year, new me” chaos, is coming in hot, even in the dating world. And guess what? You’ve got two weeks to plan your winning strategy.
Wait… who am I kidding? The race already started, and you’re jogging in place with a cookie in hand.
Yes, enjoy the holidays – stuff your face (I already had a piece of homemade fudge this morning…), hug your family, spoil the grandkids, and crush it at the ugly sweater party. But consider this the perfect *undercover* opportunity to get ahead.
You can deck the halls *and* draft your game plan. Multitasking? That’s just holiday spirit with ambition.🎄
One thing is for sure, this is a great time to take more photos so we can freshen you up! So, let’s get you prepped for January fun. Click here.
1. Reflect on What You Want
Define your goals: Are you looking for a serious relationship, casual dating, or friendship?
List your deal-breakers: Know what qualities are must-haves or no-go’s.
Clarify your values: Identify what matters most to you – shared hobbies, similar life goals, or specific traits like kindness or ambition.
2. Don’t Catfish Yourself
Show up as you. That filtered, 2018 vacation photo? It’s a no. Confidence is hotter than Photoshop.
3. Snap Pics That Pop
It’s time for your glow-up! Plan a photoshoot or dig into your gallery for photos that scream, “I’m fun, approachable, and have a life.” Include a mix:
- The “Look, I’m cute!” shot
- The “I do cool things like photography” shot
- The “Dogs love me, and you should too” shot
No bathroom selfies – unless your mirror can teleport. Or fish.
And December is your iPhone opp month – no matter what you are doing – snap those baking with the kids, attending a holiday party, celebrating New Year’s Eve – you and I will have lots of photos to choose from the first week of January!
4. Bio = Bragging, But Make It Fun
Your bio should be like your favorite dessert: sweet, memorable, and impossible to resist. Sprinkle in humor, like:
- “Fluent in movie quotes and fluent-ish in cooking (ask my smoke detector).”
- “I’ll show you the world – through my camera lens.”
Leave a little mystery – because nobody likes a spoiler.
5. Sharpen Your Icebreaker Game
Ditch the generic, “Hey, what’s up?” Instead, prep fun starters like:
- “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever Googled?”
- “Best gift you got for Christmas? Mine was……”
Remember, wit wins hearts.
6. Timing Is Everything
Don’t rush. The right match might be a few swipes away – or might take a month. Stay patient and have fun!
7. Channel Main-Character Energy
Glow up season starts now!
Try a new look, treat yourself to a self-care routine, and remind yourself: you’re the total package. Confidence (without arrogance) is your secret weapon – so is the fact you love dogs. That’s always a bonus.
Come January, you’ll be swiping with style, confidence, and an “I’ve got this” smile. Let the games begin!
Questions:
What new dating strategies are you going to try in 2025? Now that much verification is done online and ghosting is at all time lows, are you willing to give online dating another chance? Do you think you are too old for a partner? (Hint: I just had an 85-year-old man re-marry, and I went to his wedding!)
Tags Senior Dating Advice
I perused an online dating app with no luck in finding the quirky homebody who has many dogs like me. All the guys are outgoing, love being surrounded by family (ugh), and have all the time to travel. I faked being like that for years, but once I realized how introverted I am, I thrive so much more being alone. The only people I honestly got along with were eccentric, creative oddballs. I just don’t want to fake it anymore, so I guess I’ll just be alone for the rest of my life.
Hi Valerie—Thanks for your thoughts and experience. With over 1400 dating sites and apps out there, often it’s finding the right one. I agree—you should be you and it makes sense you can’t travel often with all your dogs—I know having two myself! I’ve done this for nearly 30 years—and I know it’s both choosing the right dating site and being yourself. I find if you give it time and spend 2-3 hours a week on this—when I say time I mean about 3 months–quite often you meet someone special. I know introverted men who are online too—it’s really having the right strategy. Happy holidays! Warmly, Andrea
I have no plans to search online dating! I had a mutual online social media friend that became more (I thought he was genuine and sincere) Nope! He was not the kind,, sincere man as portrayed! Can you say Narcissist? I now have my peace, my time, my energy minus the chaos. Lesson learned.
Hi Sandra—Thanks for the comment—There’s good eggs…and bad eggs in everything. Sorry you got one of those. I wish you Happy Holidays! Warmly, Andrea
I know several older women who found a good guy online and seem to be happy with him – but the odds are so much against it. Many men of 70 want a 40 year old girlfriend. And sad to say, a lot of older men who are single are single for a reason . For years I’ve heard women saying that and I thought they were being too negative – but the more men I meet, the more I think there’s some truth to that . We might find the right guy but so much of it just depends on luck
Hi Jan—there has been a long ongoing study (22 years) and the research says that men over 60 are as follows: 80% want someone near their own age, within 5 years. Yes, 20% want younger—so the heck with them, right?!? I don’t think it’s luck–I believe it’s having a sound stratgey and being on the right sites with the right photos and profile. Also sending good messages. Happy holidays! Thanks, Andrea
I am weighing in on this conversation. I had been online looking after my divorce. The first time I met someone fairly quickly and we were in a long term relationship. Unfortunately, we only had 4 years together because he died suddenly. We were both in our early 50’s. A couple of years after his death I decided to put myself out there again and it was tougher this time around. Lots of weirdos and scam artists. Had my share of first time dates. Then I met someone who I was with for 9 months. However, he was not the match I thought he would be and he ended up ghosting me so that was the end of that. Back online again and more weirdos, scam artists and some first dates but nothing to stick. THEN finally I met someone who I felt was compatible, became my husband and we’re still together over 12 years later. He’s now 70 and I’m 68. So yes, it is luck.