As a matchmaker, my favorite thing to ask one of my singles is:"Describe to me your perfect partner". Firstly no one is perfect, yet the beauty of being human is that we can vividly envision who that person would be. The descriptions usually begin pretty generic and basic. "I would like for him to be kind, giving and funny", or "I would like for her to be confident and sweet with a sense of humor". It just takes a little bit more coaxing for things to get a bit more specific.
They should love the outdoors, be ambitious, be 420 friendly, have a beard, family first, be educated, be humble, must want kids, be no younger than 30 but not older than 35, want to travel, can't have a blue collar job, minimum 6 feet tall, the list goes on. All of these are 'requirement's' that have been described to me in a matchmaking meeting. Granted, these are qualities given after a bit of pushing on my part, therefore, if introduced to the right person, these will no longer be as important as we think they are.
Yet, there are non-negotiable's that should never be ignored. Kindness, confidence, motivation, self-awareness, affectionate, among so many more. If this is what we are looking for in our future partners, we need to take this time as a single to become what we are looking for. If we are not confident, the confident person we are perusing won't be interested in us. If we want someone active and fit, we too have to live that life-style. Just like if we are career driven and motivated, we are far less likely to partner up with someone lazy and flailing in life.
If you have decided that you are looking for a serious future partner, make a list of your top 5 non-negotiable qualities and make sure you too live life according to those. Kindness begets kindness. Motivation pushes the motivated. Being around those who are self aware make us more aware of ourselves. Become the person for your future partner that you want them to be for you.