Top Five: How to Sweep a Girl Off Her Feet

"Are you paying attention to me?" Your girlfriend asks after telling you all about her trip with her cousin to an obscure town in North Carolina.

"Yes dear," is the common response, but it's often a blatant lie. A lie that could be costing you thousands.

Guys, sweeping a girl off her feet takes this before anything else, and is a common theme through this entire lens. There is no general recipe - every woman is unique, and it's your job to find out what works!. Women like when men pay attention to them and are genuinely interested in what they have to say - you're already getting bonus points just by caring. It will help you in the long run.

For example, Valentine's Day is coming up - what do you get the girl you're trying to impress? You could get her an expensive necklace - every girl would love some expensive jewelry, right? This isn't necessarily the case - if you're just starting to date, she may find it off-putting and see it as a commitment that she isn't ready to take. Plus, how do you plan to top that gift next Valentine's Day?

By listening and observing, you can learn about your girlfriend's/wife's interests. Instead of an expensive necklace, try her favorite chocolate bar, partnered with a freshly cut bouquet of her favorite flowers and spend the afternoon in the park. It's sweet, creative, and shows that you really care about who she is. I've been dating my current girlfriend for about two and a half years and I know that a Hershey's chocolate bar and a single daisy will always cheer her up.

It can be hard to think of ways to impress a woman. Remember her tastes and preferences, and you'll go far.

For example, if she likes the outdoors, there are a million things you could do to impress her. While the obvious answer is to take her on a picnic, try something more unique. Find a local nature trail and bring cameras, or just have a nature watch in your own backyard by setting up feeders. If she is creative enough, design and build a birdhouse together and share moments together watching the visitors.

If she isn't particularly keen on the outdoors or woodworking, try something gentler and more sincere. While many men are afraid to show their emotions, doing so will do nothing but make your relationship stronger. Set up a date where you look through old photo albums of relatives and friends and talk about how much each of them impacted your life. She'll appreciate that you let your guard down. Take the time to go through her old albums too, to learn more about her.

Even asking her to something simple can be a great idea, if it's done in a creative and meaningful way. Rather than ask to dinner directly, try writing a sweet note and leaving it on her car windshield. Or bake her something (and don't worry if you're a terrible baker, your girl will admire your effort) and write in frosting, "thinking of you." It's really up to you to decide what to do, but if it shows true thought and effort, she'll love you nonetheless.

Even remembering seemingly silly things is a great way to score points. Remembering the first time you kissed (this is actually very important to women), or what song was playing when it happened (if there was music playing) or remembering her favorite place to eat.

Like I've said earlier, all of these tips for sweeping a girl off her feet revolve around the same theme: pay attention.

Sweeping tip number two is obvious enough, but this tip is multifaceted.

1. Give compliments! But don't say words just to say words. Many guys think that a compliment is a compliment, but women can sense when you're being insincere. if you really want to impress her, look for what really makes her unique - her quirks. Rather than saying something generic like, "you look good today," compliment a specific part of her body. "You look nice today," can turn into so many better compliments - if you're feeling daring, indirectly compliment her on a part of her body that she's self conscious about. For example, if a girl is self-conscious about her lips, compliment her entire face. It will make her feel beautiful - something every girl wants to feel.


2. Smile! If you're going to give a compliment, and you're really laying it on thick, make sure to smile genuinely. Be sure to smile not only with your mouth, but with your entire face - especially your eyes.


3. Make eye contact! If you're always looking away or looking down when you talk to her, she'll think of you as either a pig (if you're looking in the wrong places) or not confident enough. Girls want confidence, but typically dislike swagger. Be confident, but not cocky.


4. Be supportive! If she's a freelance writer that has yet to make it big, don't discourage her from her dream. While the example is a little extreme, you never know - always be ready for whatever she has to tell you and accept it. Remember these personal things about her and keep them close to you, and constantly remind her you'll always be there for her, even during tough times.

I've been with my girlfriend for about two and a half years now, and getting her in the first place wasn't easy - it took me literally months to win her over, and I couldn't be happier now.

If you're ever feeling discouraged about your attempts, take a moment to relax and look back on everything you've accomplished so far. As I mentioned earlier, it's the small things that matter, and you need to be able to embrace them. Many men are "big picture" people - they see their status as either "single" or "taken," and don't give themselves credit for the effort they put in.

If you got her phone number, that's a huge achievement already! If you know her birthday, even better! Her best friend's name? Dog's name? Parents' names? Literally anything that you've shared with one another is special, and sometimes it's hard to remember that. That even applies to my relationship after more than two and a half year. Make it a priority to almost quiz yourself on all the things you know about her, and keep them close to you - she'll notice your hard work and appreciate it.

Guys, I completely understand that we don't want to show vulnerability. We like to seem strong and are often afraid to show emotions because of it. Showing emotion breaks down into two simple categories, that you should almost always follow:

1. When you feel particularly strongly about something. If you're having a conversation about a topic that means a lot to you, tell her what's on your mind. Don't necessarily be an "open book," as some girls may see that as more friendly than you intend, but let her know your thoughts and opinions on things that are meaningful to you. Your openness will help in the sweeping process


2. When she asks about your emotions. Don't blatantly lie to her about how you're feeling, as it will raise the question of trust later on when you can't hold it in any longer. Bottling emotions is a bad idea, in any circumstances. If you want a relationship to work, you need to be able to be completely open with one another and not judge

As another general rule, anger does not solve anything. If you're a hot-headed person, this one may be hard to swallow, but girls don't appreciate someone who can't keep their temper. It shows immaturity. What women want is a man - a guy who is mature enough to understand his own emotions and make her feel safe.

Every second you spend together is a moment to remember - a moment for you to sweep her off her feet.

If you're looking for a great way to impress her without spending too much, check out this article, also written by me, which outlines some great date ideas that are easy to pull off (if you follow the guidelines I've set in this article). The key is to show her you care about her and to make her feel special. Do that, and you'll be successful with almost any girl.