First dates can be can be a challenging and stressful adventure but they are also a necessary evil to overcome. Nobody likes them. Everyone feels a bit of uneasiness and awkwardness during a first date. There are the rare exceptions to the rule when two people that have been friends for years decide that they want to try something more romantic. However, most of the time a first date is a terrifying prospect.

Even with all that can go wrong with a first date there are some easy steps you can take to make your first dates more comfortable and smooth. As an expert in the field (I’m not) I’m here to help you develop a first date strategy that is guaranteed to make you succeed in your dating life. Having successfully landed a mate that is, without question, far out of my league I can state that by following these simple steps you too can land the woman of your dreams. (Note: As I am a heterosexual male these steps will be written in a manner that will allow a man to have a successful first date with a woman. However, these steps can altered by simply changing the pronouns for a woman to successfully plan a first date with a man, a man to have a successful first date with a man, or a woman to have a successful first date with a woman.)