Is it time you started dating? Have you been out of the dating flow for a while? How will you know when you are ready?

Take a look at this preparation quiz and give yourself a score from one to ten in each area. Begin your questionnaire by saying the following:

I’ll know when I’m ready for a great love life, available to meet interesting people who I may want to consider for a future long-term relationship when:

1. I have a support network.

I have friends and family who love me and support my efforts. (I don’t have a house full of freeloaders. I have appropriate boundaries with negative family members. I don’t encourage or tolerate people in my life who aren’t nice to me.)

2. I have cleaned up my past relationships.

Better known as “baggage,” old relationships that ended but need to be let go no longer haunt my life. I’ve completed my divorce, said goodbye to my former lover, made peace with my parents, and ended relationships that no longer serve me.

3. I have a future career.

I am engaged in a job or studies or realistic plans that contribute to my professional future. I get along well with my coworkers. (I’m not lying on the couch, watching TV all day, waiting for opportunities or jobs to knock on my door.)

4. I am open to new healthy adventures.

Since love life is a great adventure, I am open to what awaits me. I have my own set of rules and parameters of what’s okay and what’s not, but I’m willing to consider new activities. (I don’t plan on bungee jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, but I’m definitely up for going to a new museum, concert, city, park, restaurant, street fair, etc.)

5. I contribute positively to someone’s life.

I do something nice for someone at least once a day. (In addition to feeding the dog.)

6. I am healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

I am free of addictions, have a weekly exercise routine, watch what I eat, and am generally optimistic about life. I am not afraid to say that I need help if I am struggling in those areas.

7. I am loyal and trustworthy.

I am known for keeping my word and handling my agreements. I don’t say one thing and do another. My friends, neighbors and family know they can count on me.

8. I am responsible with my finances.

I am good at budgeting and living within my income. If I’m not happy with how much money I make, I’m also good at figuring out how to create what I need.

9. I have a strong single life.

I’m not looking for someone to make my miserable life happy. I have people, activities, hobbies, and jobs that I love. I wouldn’t mind sharing my life with someone wonderful, but I am complete on my own.

10. I know what I want.

I have learned from past relationships and experiences that I have some very definite requirements for my life to be happy. I know that if I compromise those requirements, I won’t be the person I need to be. I know what my values, requirements and visions are for my life.

Give yourself a score from one to ten in each of these categories. The lowest rated areas are the ones you need to work on. As you work on your challenging areas, take a look at your strengths and celebrate them. These are the strengths that you bring into your love life.

If you get a score above 80, you’re good to go with ease. If you get between 80 and 50, you should take dating easy while you work on your life.

If you score below 50, give yourself a break from dating and focus on which category you can improve on. When you grow strong in one area, several others will improve at the same time.

Your love life is waiting for you.