Too often, daters head into the first date not fully knowing what they’re doing, and they flounder their way through a fancy meal or some dull, clichéd activity. There isn’t much structure, and therefore there isn’t a real basis for a spark to get started. Conversation fizzles out at around the one-hour mark, and the two would-be lovebirds part ways without setting up a second date.

That’s no way to go on a date. A great date isn’t difficult to manufacture, but it does require you to know – and use – a few key elements. Of course, including all these elements is no guarantee of success, but they will help you facilitate the best possible date, one where you can show off the best you have to offer. Think of these as like a road map on your way to a meaningful connection.

An Exciting Activity

Rather than take your date to a movie, where you will sit in silence for a couple of hours; rather than go for a quiet picnic or a low-key dinner, do something interesting with your date. For instance, a popular first date activity these days is axe throwing; it combines thrills, a little light competition and some much-needed tension release, the perfect combo for a successful date – click here to learn more about booking a lane.

A Comfortable Meal

Don’t go somewhere too stuffy. All that will end up happening is that the conversation will get rigid, and the two of you will wind up more reserved than you need to be. By all means, you can still go somewhere with tasty food, but try and find someplace with a shaggier, looser ambience. First dates are for getting to know one another, and in order for those guards to come down, you need to be in a comfortable atmosphere. Want a recommendation? Try a ramen restaurant; they are often the perfect mix of delicious, hip and informal.

An Honest and Open Conversation

There are limits here: you don’t want to divulge every dirty secret you have, but you want to be open and forthright enough with your thoughts that you have a solid foundation of truth in the relationship, upon which you can build. Ask a few gently probing questions, and encourage your date to ask questions of you. You don’t have to be a complete open book, but you don’t want to be an enigma either.

An Invitation to Future Plans

Finally, an element that every successful date needs is the plan for the next date. If you have had a good time, and you want to have another good time, don’t be too shy to suggest doing this again. Sometimes, both parties want to play it coy, leaving a second date up to chance, but it pays to be bold and forthright, to say what you want and start setting it up there and then.

There you have it: the building blocks of a perfect date. With an exciting activity like axe throwing, a comfortable meal like ramen, an honest conversation, and a plan to do it again soon, you might well be on your way to meeting that special someone.