I’ve seen it all over the internet and magazines. Relationship advice for men from a women’s perspective. But what about from a guy who gets what we’re going through the guy’s mind? Here, I’ll lay out a few things that have helped me and my clients.

Single Guys

Most of my advice is for married guys. But here are a few for the single guys who are looking for someone to marry.

Choose the right one. I CANNOT emphasize this more for the single guy. They say that happy wife means a happy life. A good wife also means a good life. You are in for a world of pain if you choose someone that complains, blames, and does not respect you. Take my word for it, choose someone bitter and you’ll be bitter too. No there aren’t perfect people and everyone has flaws. Here’s a test. Do they have a solid set of friends? If they do, that will give them support outside of your relationship. That means you wouldn’t have to be the, “be all and end all,” of that person. This is important. As much as it feels nice to be important for someone, you can’t be everything for them. This will stress you out, and you will eventually disappoint your significant other (SO).

Make sure they are CRAZY about you. My mom gave me a good piece of advice that I’ll pass on to you. If a girl likes you, you will know. They will text you, call you, and get your attention as much as they can. Marriage takes effort. Don’t marry someone that isn’t as crazy about you as you are about them.

Long distance relationships are hard. I’m not saying don’t do it. But be really sure about it if you are going to. Or make the distance quite temporary.

Does her family love you too? Ouch, touchy subject but it has to be said. When the family doesn’t love you, it creates years of pain. There could be feelings of betrayal, not being sure if your SO is on your side, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, some women are worth it even if one or more of the above things aren’t true (or true yet). If possible, though, find someone good. Someone well put together, who adores you, and has a good family. They’re out there! I only say this because my wife is awesome, and increased the quality of my life by a lot. Marriage is not for the faint of heart!

Studies show that happy marriages equal happier, wealthier, and healthier people. Bad marriages do worse in all these categories compared to their single counterparts.

Any questions about the advice? Leave me a comment below. Stay tuned for Part II of this blog where I give advice for married men.