THIS will be my last column for a while.

Ongoing writing projects have been piling up calling for my undivided attention, so I'm taking an indefinite leave of absence from contributing in this space.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I've learned in my journey of personal development has been the importance of thinking big. That it is never too late to pursue your dreams.

A few years ago, I was frustrated with my social life.

I had been a social misfit and had never mastered the social skills that all the cool people in school just seemed to have instinctively.

I embarked on a period of experimentation to gain the experience and knowledge I missed out on.

This involved initiating social interactions with thousands of interesting people, many of whom became my new friends.

I learned a lot about how beautiful women think and feel, and about social dynamics overall.

And I have endeavoured to pass to others the lessons I learned.

I discovered profound insights about myself and made some major and lasting transformations.

I learned that the most significant element in interacting with people is to be your authentic and best self.

Be honest about who you are - your limitations and your strengths. As long as you are striving to improve yourself, never be ashamed.

Never too late to change

I took a stand on the things about myself that I've wanted to change for decades but never followed through with.

At the ripe old age of 30, I got into the best shape of my life.

I also took up new hobbies and learned new skills that I had wanted to pursue for many years but kept putting off.

In other words, I stopped making excuses for myself and my social predicament, took responsibility for my own life.

I started to become my ideal self. And I have never been happier.

Most of all, I concluded that while intimate encounters with many women may bring a lot of pleasure, it doesn't lead to sustained happiness. So since 2008, I have instead chosen to have meaningful, long-term relationships.

What credentials do I have for coaching others in the social arts? The world of social coaching is unusual in that there is no governing body or set of verifiable standards.

Usually, men start by hearing my story and identifying with it. They then read my articles and get my Dating 101 audio course.

If they need feedback that's more personalised, they get in touch with me, and as I get to know them, I tell them exactly what I can and can't do to help them.

I do not think there is anything morally objectionable to casual encounters between mutually consenting adults, nor do I have any major regrets about my past.

Those experiences contributed to making me the man I am today.

Though it took me until my early 30s to figure things out socially and catch up in my facility in social dynamics, it is never too late to realise one's dreams.

Without those experiences, I would likely never have learned enough about women and myself or matured enough emotionally to approach and attract my long-term girlfriends, who have enriched my life deeply.

While I let slip away much of my social life in high school, college, and my 20s, I now have a whole range of life opportunities open to me that I could have only dreamt of a mere five years ago.

It is never too late to become whoever you want to be.

Although I am on a writing sabbatical, you can still keep in touch with me by signing up for my mailing list, which you can find on the top right-hand corner of my website.

Finally, I owe a big thanks to the many loyal and supportive fans of this Dr Date column.

This article was first published in The New Paper