Living the single life is one of the most rewarding things you can do. When you are unattached to another person, you have a newfound freedom that allows you to live solely for yourself. It gives you the time to figure out who you are where you want to go. Being single doesn’t mean having a complete lack of love; the love simply shifts to focus on yourself, your friends, or your family–whatever is most important to you. Here are six reasons it’s great to be single, and how you can practice loving yourself first.

1. Seek After Your Work Goals: Take those extra shifts and spend a little extra time rubbing elbows with the boss. Work on seeking after your work goals by putting in the time. You don’t have any other responsibilities, which frees you up to figuring out where you want to go in life. If you aren’t in your dream job, then start applying. Now is the time to take that leap of faith to make the dream happen. You can relocate to another city without hesitation, and you can spend all of your energy on making your dreams come true.
2. Travel Everywhere You Want: Make an inspiration board, and choose the different locations that you want to go to. Set your budget, and begin knocking off your travel destinations one  y one. Go to far off destinations or get to know domestic cities in a new way. Plan your vacations and do every single thing that you want to on your trip. Your trip is all about you. You don’t have to worry about coordinating with anyone else.
3. Reconnect to Your Principles: By being alone, you start to reevaluate the things that you want most in life. You consider what your core values are and where your principles lie. Take time to mediate and spend time learning who you are again. Confront the ugly parts of you and work on them to become a better person. By learning who you are, you can then know where you want to go, and who you want to surround yourself with.
4. Connect Deeper with Friends: Spend intentional time with friends. Do activities that encourage you both to talk about grow closer in friendship. Ask hard questions and answer uncomfortable things thrown your way. Spend your extra time by supporting them in their endeavors to show them how much you care.
5. Master A New Skill: Do that thing that you’ve always wanted to do. Have you been dying to learn how to ballroom dance? Then sign up for a class. Do you want to run a marathon? Then register for a race. Learn a little more about who you are and grow as an individual by taking on new challenges. By taking new risks, you’ll meet more like-minded people who you can connect with.
6. Say “NO” To Negativity: You are in control of what enters your home and your mind. Don’t let negative people and thoughts persistently come knocking at your door. You have the power to turn them away and focus on bringing the positive change that you want to see. Shed other negative friends who weigh on you, or quit the job that causes you far too much stress. It’s time to change the way you think, and put your needs first.

Once you know who you are and develop yourself deeper as a person, you then have a clearer perspective of what you want out of life. By being a stronger person, you are also better equipped to be a better partner for someone in the future (if you decide to let go of the single life). Being single isn’t about being alone–it’s about knowing who you are.