The author says, "I can’t even say whether I’m voluntarily or involuntarily single," and I think this is telling. When you're dealing with anxiety and overthinking, it's easy to lose touch with your feelings and become unsure of why you do things the way you do. I know that's how it's been for me to some extent.
You've got to push past it, though, and take the plunge to ask people out even if they might reject you or even if it might break some social norms. I just got out of a long-term relationship and am also approaching my thirties. When I met her, she was my housemate during university years. My other housemates and friends said it would be inappropriate to make a move, but I went for it anyway, and it gave me 9 years of happiness.
I don't think the author indicates that they're feeling anxiety at all. Overall, they seem to indicate happiness and content in singleness, and even give themselves a call-to-action at the end of the piece:
> Why am I writing about this deeply personal subject? The clock is ticking, and figuring myself out and finding a partner won’t get easier as I get older. By talking about these things in public, I want to make myself accountable for taking these personal matters more seriously. As a friend told me recently, I should “whole-ass” it, not “half-ass” it, if I want to progress. I hope to figure some things out, and I want to document my thoughts here. This is a good starting point to show where I’m coming from if I get involved in the online dating discourse.
In fact, I can relate to this feeling of realizing that I'm never going to have a "meet-cute" moment, and that I need to intentionally seek out relationships. Especially given remote work, on the average day, I will speak to 0 people who I don't work with. That doesn't leave a lot of room for starting relationships.
You've got to push past it, though, and take the plunge to ask people out even if they might reject you or even if it might break some social norms. I just got out of a long-term relationship and am also approaching my thirties. When I met her, she was my housemate during university years. My other housemates and friends said it would be inappropriate to make a move, but I went for it anyway, and it gave me 9 years of happiness.