As women, we naturally get a little too far ahead of ourselves. We talk, text or go on one date with a guy and we can go a little crazy. We have already tried out our first name with their last. We have thought about how we would fit in with their family. We thought about what it would be like to marry him and be with him the rest of our lives. These are all good things that we want to have in the future, don’t get me wrong! If I couldn’t see myself marrying a man, I would not enter a relationship with him. But we have to be careful.

On the other hand, men can be clueless. They don’t always understand that each of their actions, no matter how small, affect us women. It can be hard for them to realize that as they are talking to us, we are overanalyzing every single thing they are saying. When guys give compliments and text us often, girls can jump to conclusions about their intentions. Once this happens, girls do their thing and get way further ahead in where they think the relationship is going than the guy is ever intending on.

Ladies, this is why it is so important to guard our hearts. Dating is a special thing that takes time. We don’t have to rush into things. It is OK not to have a label for a while. Just get to know him and take it day by day. It’s OK not to kiss him for a few months. That is something special that should be cherished and saved for when you truly know who they are as a person. I know it’s hard, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself. And if you do get to a point when you both want to date, take that slowly, too. Keep in mind the fact that they are someone else’s spouse until they are yours with a ring on your finger, and respect that. If it doesn’t work out between you two, remembering this and taking the relationship slow will cause so much less pain in the long run.

Guys, realize that your actions do affect women a lot more than you think. So don’t pursue a girl until you know what you want and are ready. A man that knows exactly what he wants is so attractive and is a great quality to have. Make sure that you are completely secure in who you are before you bring another person into figuring that out. And know that every girl you begin dating is slightly crazy and has most definitely tried out her first name with your last.

In the end, the great thing about dating is that we can accept one another for all of our flaws and love - despite the fact that women are crazy and men are clueless.