1. Trustworthiness. Trust is the foundation of a relationship. Without trust, there is nothing.

2. Happiness. I’m not talking all-the-time, happy-go-lucky kind of a person. I’m talking someone who can genuinely appreciate the good times with you.

3. Clear communication. This is what leads to trust. Look for this in a partner. Communication is key — many people have said this, because it’s true.

4. Self-discipline. The ability to reign yourself in means incredible presence of mind. That usually means a calm interior.

5. Ability to see the good in things. An optimistic person usually means a happy demeanor.

6. Ambition. A good relationship is never stagnant. Always be on the move for that new experience. Make sure your potential LTR is ambitious, too.

7. Respect. Respect for property, animals, other people. This is key. If they do not respect any of the three, then they aren’t good enough for you.

8. Compassion.

9. Ego. Too much and you will find yourself rolling your eyes. Too little and you will find yourself rolling your eyes. A little bit of humility never hurt anyone.

10. Realistic. Everyone has some sort of lofty goal they’d love to achieve, but that’s where reality kicks in. Being realistic, although it may sounds pessimistic at times, lets you reflect on your situation (financial, most of the time). (And for me, because I’m an idealist, to have a realistic partner, that’s a real great partnership to have.)

11. Passion. If the person doesn’t have passion, they have no goals. No passion means no excitement. That’s not a good thing. We as humans should be able to be fired up over something, whether it be sports or pottery or programming.

12. Sense of humor. Quick to laughter, slow to anger.

13. Honesty. Lying is never good, especially when it comes to love. Being upfront with everything is important — which leads back to communication as being one of the foundations of a relationship. If they are honest, that’s a good sign.

14. You can count on them. Dependability is crucial. Nothing sours more quickly than a relationship if you can’t count on each other.

15. Self-reflectiveness.

16. Strong will. A relationship is being able to survive the rough seas and the strong winds. Without a strong will, clouds of doubt will form — and once it’s formed, it’s hard to make it go away.

17. Patience. A good thing takes time to blossom. As they say, Rome wasn’t built overnight. Keep that in mind.

18. Choose someone based on something that you know will last.