Why are women so hard to please? Why is it difficult for men to get close to them? It’s an age-old question. One moment a guy can be with the girl of his dreams and the next moment things crumble apart and he’s standing there wondering what happened.

Men suffer and struggle with the idea of reaching a woman’s expectations. Our job is to convince a girl we are the perfect guy — and here begins the long and sometimes painful journey we call dating.

Most guys fear entering this path but know that if they want a chance at getting the girl they must accept whatever fate lies in front of them.

Dating will lead a guy down one of two roads. Down one road he gets the girl and marks it as one of the greatest accomplishments of his young life. Down the second road lies rejection, one of the toughest mental, emotional and physical experiences of young adult life.

Guys may think it’s safer to not even bother with dating. Sometimes the dating game seems brutal, but there is still hope. Rejection is painful, but men can learn from it and carry on their search for the next girl. When everything seems to have fallen apart, a girl might appear, say ‘hi,’ even ask your name. Sometimes that is all a guy needs to get back on his feet and try again.

To be fair to girls, the dating game isn’t any easier for them; it’s just different. It can seem outrageous for girls to lie to someone, to make up a phony excuse when asked on a date. However, they only lie because they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Girls care about feelings regardless of who you are — most of the time.

It may seem to guys that they have the short end of the stick, but it’s not true. Girls aren’t out to break hearts. I have learned you don’t need to be that perfect guy. Yes, girls may want perfection, but maybe perfection isn’t money and looks and a faultless personality. Maybe it’s about being kind and considerate, caring and thoughtful. Maybe to be perfect we have to shed our fears, be honest about who we are and just try to be better today than we were yesterday.

It’s possible that women are so hard to please because we’re going about it the wrong way. All too often guys try to make themselves into someone they’re not, someone much more macho and tough and testosterone driven than they really are.

I have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I’m inspired by those who’ve made it. Some guy at BYU-Idaho will find the girl of his dreams today, and someone else will find his tomorrow. I just hope by the time I find my dream girl I will have learned enough to make sure I do it right. After all, girls will accept nothing less than perfect.