As a disclaimer, it takes a lot to keep my attention and I suck at flirting, so falling in love is a long process for me. Several friends have banned me from wingman duty after I got bored, started checking my phone and wandered off while on call.
Follow these nine easy steps and you just might fall in love. It worked for me.
1. Meet new people. Whether it's through volunteering at a local film festival or through trivia, diversifying your friend group can lead to increased happiness on its own.
2. Take a chance. Did a cute guy just sit down across from you? Start the conversation. Is he interesting? Stay for a bit.
3. Judge their interest level. Is he smiling? Are there Lisa Frank stickers available? If so, aim for the forehead. Is he still smiling? Congratulations! You have just had another successful interaction with a man.
4. Connect on social media. Does he like Nickelback? If so, ignore. If not, proceed. Mention cephalopods, NPR and mixology.
5. Hang out with a group. Commandeer the hammock. Ignore everyone to discuss the Superman black bag issue and comics-based movie franchises.
6. Hang out one on one. Take over a six pack of stout. Watch R. Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet." Stay up til 4 talking. Sleep. Eat breakfast. Watch football. Repeat.
7. Plan a trip abroad. After a few months, you're going to need a little space to cement your thoughts. When you're dropped off at 5 AM, realize you don't want to travel alone for three weeks. Bawl. Repeat when you get out of cell range and again when you find that your Internet won't support Skype or FaceTime.
8. Come back. More importantly, share what you learned. Smile more. Flirt more. Sometimes it takes half a world's distance to realize the value the person next to you holds.
9. Be kind. Slip that tiny bar of bacon chocolate into his bag. Expect excited text messages two days later when he finds it.
Title taken from a recurring phrase on "30 Rock."