The world of dating has undergone some significant changes over the last few years, and abiding by the old rules could end up sabotaging your chances of finding happiness. If you've been dating around for a while to no avail, then it may be time to break a few old rules.

Keep reading to find out 5 rules that you may need to break before you can find "The One."

1. Never Be the First One to Initialise Contact

While both men and women tend to fall into this trap, women are often more likely to anxiously wait for a text or email from a potential date. However, the online dating community makes it super-easy to reach out to someone with whom you think you may connect. Everyone has the same goal, which is to find someone they can be happy with. If you have found someone that you want to meet, don't wait for them to make the first move; doing so may cause you to miss out.

2. Lure Them In by Acting Disinterested

Ah, playing hard-to-get; it's a surefire way to keep him or her interested. Actually, it's a surefire way to let him or her know that you're not willing to invest in the relationship, and that it's probably time for them to move on. While your date doesn't need to immediately go from an acquaintance to someone who gets a play-by-play outline of your day via text message, maintaining contact after a great day is unlikely to scare them off.

3. Don't Give or Accept a Last Minute Invitation

Old wisdom says that accepting a date with less than three days of advance notice looks desperate, and inviting someone on a last minute date sends the message that your previous plans fell through. Instead of viewing last minute invitations as an act of desperation, look at them as a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to spend time with someone you're interested in.

4. Don't Talk About Previous Relationships

While this generally isn't great fodder for conversation on the first date, relaying past experiences, hurts and successes is a great way for you and your significant other to get to know one another. As long as you're not still pining over a long-gone previous girlfriend or boyfriend, discussing previous relationships is a good way to establish how you want, or don't want, your current relationship to look.

5. Forget Your "Type"

If you're like most people, you pull out your mental checklist every time you meet a potential love interest. Maybe he needs an Ivy League education to win a second date, or maybe she needs know correct football terminology to be considered girlfriend-material. While there's nothing wrong with having a few reasonable standards, dating only those who fit your "type" could end up preventing you from meeting someone with whom you'd have a great connection. Instead of limiting yourself to people who meet a certain criteria, try branching out by joining other online community groups.

Now that you're ready to see dating relationships with new eyes, sign up today for a free account with Love2Date Singles. We offer a wide range of community groups, allowing people like you to connect with other singles in your area who share your interests and background.