If you’re heading into the New Year as a single guy, as your dating coach, I want to help you put together a tried and tested blueprint for how you can meet, date and attract more of the women that you want in 2026.
So here's the deal. Most men I coach have tons to offer. They're interesting, educated, and have really great intentions towards women. In fact, the women I coach would love to know where they're hanging out.
However, you (and the women you want to meet) just keep missing each other:
- Dating apps drip feed you matches that you’re not that excited about.
- Meeting women in person feels like a no-no (isn’t that intruding?!)
- And it’s a struggle to show her that you like her, without you worrying that she’ll find that harassing.
So let’s break this down into 4 tangible ways you can improve your dating life in 2026, and meet all the women who would love to know you exist.
Where To Meet Women In 2026
If you're not meeting women now, the problem might be that you're stuck in a cycle of commute, gym, work. Your school friends have long coupled up, and you’re just not that super-extroverted guy who finds making friends easy. To solve this, I want you to do two things.
First of all, I want you to commit time to this. If you don't commit time to your dating life, it's as good as saying that you want to be summer body ready without ever setting foot in the gym. I advise all my clients to commit to going out twice a week to somewhere they haven't been before in order to proactively meet women. This is you building your capacity for success.
The second thing I want you to do is be flexible! Instead of trying to find one perfect place to go, actively keep trying new places and events out. Some will suck, others will work. You’ll know which is which by exploring. To give you a head start on where to meet women in 2026, here’s some places you can consider checking out and some pros/ cons of going there. Part of working with me as your dating coach is we need to figure out which are the best places for you that give you the best combination of opportunities to meet the women you want, whilst being a good fit for your overall lifestyle.
Singles events and speed dating
Pro: You know she’s single and here to meet someone, this removes a big barrier to starting a conversation with her. If you’re trying to build your confidence around meeting women in the real world, this is a solid place to start.
Con: Maybe the women that excite you don't hang out there. Events can also be male dominated or get cancelled at the very last minute - frustrating!
Bars and clubs
Pro: Lots of women, particularly if you’re a guy in your 20s - mid 30s.
Cons: Loud music, other guys, women hanging out in large groups (if you find it hard to approach 1 woman, 3 all huddled together can feel terrifying, or at best inappropriate.)
COED Fitness
Pros: Padel, spin, run clubs, bouldering, social dance, all are women-magnets. Plus the shared activity gives you a reason to start a conversation with her.
Cons: If you ask her out, you may worry that you’ll be kicked out of your favourite gym. (Again, this doesn’t mean this is a no-go but you do need socially intelligent ways to make a move.)
Random Encounters
Pros: Total freedom to meet women that you like passing you by in the street or picking up some groceries at Whole Foods.
Cons: Starting a conversation without a good reason feels impossible. (Hint: It’s not, and I love to coach you how to do just this!)
Other Spots To Check Out To Meet Women in 2026
- Networking events
- Hybrid work coffee shops
- Co-working spaces
- Volunteering
- Self-improvement classes
- Meditation and yoga events
- Gallery or art events
- Bookstores that have events
- Improv, public speaking and amateur dramatic classes.
Be Prepared To Break The Ice
So if you want to meet women in 2026, showing up is a good start. However, you're also going to need to break the ice. If you're not naturally the most extroverted person, this will take conscientious practice time. Luckily, all that practice doesn't have to be with women that are 100% your type who you find really attractive. In fact, you can stay socially warmed up and develop your social skills in your everyday life with people that you meet out and about. A good rule of thumb is to have one social conversation with a stranger every single day.
That could be:
- Chatting to the barista who serves your coffee
- Explaining to a cashier about why you bought three bottles of water
- Asking someone where something is instead of consulting your phone
- Asking an actual person’s opinion, instead of your AI
- Making a small comment to somebody next to you in the line or as you're queuing up for something.
These micro-interactions aren't about having a perfect line, they are about remaining socially warmed up. If you can get in conscious practice of social conversations, then it's not so much of a stretch for you to start a conversation with an attractive woman the next time you see her. Remember, your dating success is going to come down a lot to how often you're able to go out and how often you're able to break the ice. If you’re unsure what to say, then I’d highly recommend reading this blog that gives you tons of context specific opening lines.
Develop Strong Social Skills
Men and women experience attraction differently. Because you've noticed her, you know that you're attracted to her and that she's your type. For most women, however, she needs to get to know more about who you are before she begins feeling excited about you. Whether you meet her online or in person, you’ll probably notice that it feels like you’re making way more of the effort to begin with. That’s because you haven’t reached a tipping point yet where she feels fully into you. She’s still making her mind up, you’re full steam ahead.
That's why after you've broken the ice, you also need to offer her a simple way to continue the conversation with you. If you don’t offer her a clear route into the conversation, that conversation is unlikely to continue. So if you can be tenacious, and push the conversation forwards just one more time, you’ll gain better results. There are three easy ways you can do this.
1. Offer your name.
“My name’s Mike by the way.”
Hint, if she doesn't give you her name in return, this is usually a pretty clear signal that she's not comfortable to continue talking to you. On the bright side, around 90% of women will give their name in return to you. If she does, you've also got some positive encouragement from her to continue to build the conversation - and it’s so easy!
2. Say something about yourself.
Rather than coming across as boastful, talking about yourself helps her to understand why you’re great and why she should be attracted to you. Remember you’re a great guy - but she doesn’t know that yet. The more she knows about you, the more interested she should become. Talking confidently about yourself can also encourage reciprocation from her once she understands a bit more about who you are.
For example, if you're on a subway train, you'd never want to ask a woman, “So where are you going today?” She'll think you’re an axe murderer.
However, you could choose to say, “I don't know about you, but I'm going all the way to the airport today.” Then she'll probably quite naturally tell you what stop she's getting off at.
Talking about yourself is an underrated tool to encourage her to open up.
3. Make a guess about her
Comments like, “you seem like a creative type.” Or, “you seem really confident,” are unlikely to be received negatively. And don't worry, this isn't about you being a psychic and getting it right. Even if you get it horribly wrong, that can still be a fun and playful start to the conversation.
You: “You seem like a creative type.”
Her: “I’m a quantum engineer.”
You: “I’m an engineer too, awesome we can talk math together like two cute robots.”
4. Make A Move
If you meet a woman you like, I also want you to consciously practice being bolder and making a move on her in a way that is clearer. If you currently feel invisible to women, chances are you’re playing things too safe:
👉🏻 You wait for a clear signal that she likes you
👉🏻 You wait for a perfect moment
👉🏻 You think, maybe after I've spoken to her three more times, the time will be right.
All of these thoughts slow your dating momentum down. Instead, start to think like that guy who already has an abundant dating life. There are loads of great women that you can potentially meet. It's important for you to filter out women who are on the same page as you and who are at least willing to invest an hour or two of their time in getting to know you. Of course, she's not going to feel like she wants to get to know you and go on a date with you if you've only said a couple of words to each other. If however:
- You've already had a good conversation
- The conversation lasted longer than a few minutes
- The emotional vibe was pretty good
Then this is a good indicator that it's time to ask her out. Remember right now you’re probably over estimating what you need to do before you can ask her out, and losing out on opportunities. Asking her out quickly and decisively comes across as masculine, attractive and confident. It also creates a fast filter for you for the women who are interested or not. Plus, you get feedback. Sometimes she'll give you a soft no and say that she's super busy washing her hair that month. Other times you'll get a clear yes. Sometimes she may even directly tell you that she does like you, but she'd like to get to know you better first. If you understand where she's at, you can either move forwards, gain feedback, or save time. It’s a win-win. Hang around too long and she'll likely meet somebody else. You’ll just be a pleasant guy she met that time. Bank these phrases, and start using them regularly:
“I like how you are (smart/ creative/ low key but fun) - let me get your number?”
“I like how you are (smart/ creative/ low key but fun). How about we (get coffee/ grab dinner/ do pitch n put sometime?”
Practice asking her out in a way that’s clear and assertive, this is another key to you not only meeting, but dating, more women who excite you in 2026.
So let's add this all together:
You want to invest time in the right places.
You want to get comfortable with making the first move.
You want to improve how you make a second move and clearly invite her to have a longer conversation with you.(Remember, she won't do this of her own accord.)
Finally, if you do click, you want to be quick and clear at offering her a way to stay in touch or a next step.
This doesn't mean she has to accept, but I want you to start seeing the benefit of filtering women and also of clearly presenting yourself as a romantic option. Most guys don't have flawless conversation skills. Most guys don't flirt like Casanova. Most guys who are successful with dating have just got a pretty good life by themselves and they apply these four simple steps to meeting women in the real world. This is the start of your blueprint to meet and date more women in 2026. If you want to get specific about how this applies to you, how to get past your excuses and finally date the women you want - I’d love to hear from you.
