10 Ways Women Can Go From Participant To Protagonist In The Dating Game

Ladies, we all know the dating world can be a little dog-eat-dog, and we're usually the ones who are forced into complacency in our multitude of situationships.

But, we can no longer idly sit by and watch as men take advantage of us.

It's time for us to take back our power and increase our pimp game.

Here are 10 tips to get you started:

1. Go to weddings alone.

It’s a secret men have known for years.

Weddings are prime destinations to meet people. A wedding is an evening of romance, dancing and free drinks, which are the perfect ingredients to get your mack on.

Going alone can be risky at first. You may spend a few minutes questioning this decision and drinking whiskey in the bathroom by yourself.

But when you’re done doing that, you’ll put on your best badass face and be the confident woman you are.

Become friends with the people at your table, and they’ll be your dancing buddies.

Dance your little heart out because pretty soon, the single men will be swarming, and you’ll have your pick.

Confidently grab one during the first slow dance.

Boom! Your pimp game strong.

2. Start a conversation.

We’ve been taught to sit around and wait for men to approach us. That’s totally lame.

See someone cute at the bar? Walk up next to him, order a drink and say, “Cool shoes.” It’s just an opener to get the conversation started.

Want to be the ultimate pimp? Chat with him for a few minutes, give him your number and leave.

Don’t go home with him.

If he’s interested, he’ll text you and take you out on a real date.

3. Flirt like a badass.

I used to be a very reserved flirt because I was afraid of being rejected.

Then, I stopped giving a sh*t and started shamelessly flirting. If it wasn’t well-received, I moved on.

Last week, a guy was talking to me, and I said, “I’m sorry. I can’t focus right now. I’m too distracted by your beautiful smile.”

He was all smiles after that.

4. Be bold.

I had been flirting with beautiful smile guy all night, and I wanted to kiss him. So finally, I looked at him, did the "come hither" finger and said, “Kiss me.”

I’m not going to lie; I was totally patting myself on the back for being such a baller, badass lady.

5. Drink whiskey.

I was at a bar once and ordered a Scotch with two ice cubes.

The hot bartender looked at me in all seriousness and said, “ Scotch? And two ice cubes? A woman who knows what she wants. I like that.”

I felt great.

6. Enjoy watching football.

I don’t like football. I can’t even pretend to like football.

But, I do know a lot of men like football.

I know this because several men have asked me to grab a beer on a Sunday and watch the game. I like the beer part, but not the game part.

If you’re cooler than I am and like the game, capitalize on this. (If you don’t, ignore me. There’s no point in faking anything.)

Don’t watch your favorite team alone at home.

7. Know you have options.

You’re a woman. By default, that means you have options.

Too frequently, we get lonely and forget this important fact. Then, we settle.

You are literally responsible for creating life. Girl, you’ve got options.

8. Don’t put up with shenanigans.

You’ll get treated the way you let yourself get treated. Decide what you want, and ask for it.

If you want him to take you on a date, make that clear. Don’t “Netflix and chill,” if that’s not what you want.

If he keeps canceling and rescheduling, let him know your time is valuable.

9. Communicate compassionately and honestly.

Most problems in life come from a lack of communication. We make a lot of assumptions about what other people are thinking, and we act based on those assumptions.

Don’t do that. Communicate.

Want something specific in bed? Say so.

Felt hurt he forgot to call after your big interview? Say so.

But, don’t say it in a moment of anger. Express yourself clearly and calmly.

10. Be yourself.

A lot of the time in dating, we try to bait-and-switch people.

We try to figure out what they want, and then we become those people.

I’m a healthy eater. For years, I went on a ton of first dates to steakhouses because I wanted to be the “cool girl” who could get down with wings and fries.

I’m not that girl.

I want to eat a salad, and I should be honest about that. I don’t want to go rock-climbing or hiking on the first date, but I’ve also done that because I wanted to be “open and adventurous.”

That’s silly.

Be who you are, and be unapologetic about it. Find out if you actually have things in common or not.

Your date will either like you for you, or he won’t. If he doesn’t, it’s better to move on, anyway.

Don’t forget you’re a badass. Anyone would be lucky to date you.

So start acting like it, and take back your pimp game.