Making efforts to get/be healthier, pursuing your interests and learning to communicate effectively are things you can do for yourself that will also make you a more attractive partner.
If you don't find someone at least you'll be healthier and happier.
The idea that working on yourself will magically produce the perfect partner is a problematic one for me. Some people never find the "one". Personally I think making your life what you want it to be, with or without a partner is the wisest course of action.

I agree with @kkgator. Take the time to be comfortably alone. I can speak from personal experience, rushing the post breakup process cost me what would have otherwise been a good relationship. It can cause you to become too dependent on your next partner for those emotional needs that being comfortable by yourself would've taught you to handle on your own.

Learn to be content with your own company. Once you are, you won't feel so compelled to find another relationship. If you want a companion, get a dog.

Everyone is at least a little bit crazy but there is an equally crazy person for everyone, lots of them actually so start looking for your personal crazy match.

Heck, I’ve waited.. seems the only thing to come of it is having gotten better at being alone... Young, you’ve more biological reason to seek a mate, and far more reasons to choose a compatible one. Let love lead, force nothing, expect nothing; refine yourself and a match should appear.

BTW, don't ever change for anybody. people will tell you "You must work on yourself to avoid rejection." Well, guy, wait for those who accept you in the way you are.

Thank you so much for all of the responses! I'm new to this community and I really appreciate all of the feedback. I'm honestly surprised at how many of you responded. I do lack some self-confidence, but at the same time I'm at a point in my life where I have never been more happy with where I'm at. That being said, loneliness is emotionally draining but I'm learning to find ways to make myself feel less alone without jumping into a relationship.

It just frustrates me when the only response I get from people I know closely is "work on yourself first." Yeah, I get that, and I am doing that, but at the same time I feel like there should be more proactive energy being put into an otherwise exclusively random process.

That all being said, thank you all so much. I really appreciate the thoughts!!

Maybe when you are able to select the person you want to be with? See, most people jump into a relationship with the first person that smile at them...and they do so because loneliness has a very ugly face.

Yer 26...go and have fun lad. Stuff everyone telling you what to do.

Sometimes it's not whether or not to get involved, but the level of involvement that matters. So many people seem to want to jump in with both feet the instant some compatibility or attraction has been established. I'm guilty of doing this, myself. Take your time and savor the process. 26 is very, very young.

If you are with your thoughts still in the previous relationship you are definitely not ready. Your new partner in life should be your new start and priority in life with whom you share from now on your lifepath.

I recommend a break between two relationships. Give you a time off with a retrospective look back what went good and bad, and with this experience a look the future what should be different for you. What can you do, and what you await from your new love. Important in all relationships is a good open unforcing communication.

Further take the time off come back yourself, enjoy the single life, take again a deep breathe instead going from one relationship another. Do things you want but haven‘t done in last time. Power up yourself and give your Charisma a new shine. And of course, love and take care yourself first.

Just be who you are. If you feel you want someone in your life, go for it. Put yourself out there, and don't force it, let it happen. Women can smell desperation, and they generally don't like it. It is a little scary if it has been awhile, but it is also very exciting. You're young. You have a great smile. Go have fun.

None of us really know. We are all a work in progress but at different degrees. I look backward sometimes and see how stupid I was just a year ago. I see mistakes now that I made with my ex. Does this mean that if I knew then we would still be together? No. It simply means I can see my mistakes. If men and women are honest with each other they can see these things and we will make these mistakes until we die. Such is life.

Hmmm yes, a bit neo-psychbabble there. True we need to know ourselves as best we can, but we learn that through interaction with other people. Relationship is the best training ground for that. And there is no measuring stick. If you are asking the question you are ready now. This isn’t empirical, it’s real people with real feelings and experiences. You may go through several relationships before you are comfortable. Learn on the journey and don’t let the journey drive you.

We're NEVER ready, but we jump back into relationships anyway. It's what we do.

If you are seeing a therapist, they can tell you when you're ready. If not, then I would go by when your oldest and closest friends think you are ready. Because in each of those cases, these are the people who know you best.

Ah, relationships... For me, they've mostly been clusterfucks, and maybe that had to do with my own insecurities about myself. But it's been a few years since I have been in one, and I actually find that I am very comfortable with being alone. That said, I do believe that if I do get into another relationship it will be with one that IS The One. I don't know if I answered your question. In any case, be true to yourself; never surrender what is important to you.

Sounds like something from AA.....if so, there might be some experience there... worth finding out.

I find that to have a good relationship communication is key. There must be trust which comes from communicating with your partner. In order to communicate effectively with my partner I need to be able to talk about my feelings, my hopes, and dreams. In order to know whether someone is a good fit for me, I need to know myself and what it is that I want out of life. Understanding myself well enough to know these things requires me to be able to judge myself internally. If I can't do that then I won't be a healthy partner for any relationship.

Nobody can tell you when you are ready. You have to decide that for yourself.

Question do you truly love yourself?
If not then how can you possibly love someone to the extent for which they may need.

And if you’re simply getting a mate to fill in the gaps of what you feel are missing then will rest of that person truly matter or are you simply looking for a codependent relationship?

With that being said you must ask yourself are you a taker, a giver or a sharer?
Because a taker and a giver have to be in a relationship in order for it to work and sharers have to be together for theirs to work.
So like I said ask yourself these questions and answer them very honestly before you bring someone in and create more questions.

It comes down to three things. Personality, physical attractiveness, and wealth. The more of them you have, the more desirable you will be as a mate. You'll notice that you really can't change the first one. So you're going to need to improve your physical appearance and acquire more wealth. So start working out and find a better job. Its not an easy answer, but you asked.