It is a common enough story at this time of year. The ghost of last year's botched Valentine's Day has come back to haunt you and the stress is building and building to the point that you may just phone in sick for that date and call it a day. Who could blame you? You want to push the delete button and have a do-over, but now you are questioning all of your instincts.

Don't fret, you can do this. Seriously! It really isn't that hard. You have already done the most difficult part of the whole endeavor, you have a date. That person is likely just as nervous or hopeful as you are. So, take a deep breath and forgive yourself for last year. Who knew that the restaurant would be closed for a pest infestation and that the movie would turn out to be a total downer? This year will be better. It can't be worse right?

Wait. That wasn't a challenge.

There is a ridiculous amount of pressure from every side when it comes to February 14th. The radio blares out commercials telling you that if you haven't designed your own engagement ring, that it won't be special and the flower mongers seem to come out swinging when you ask for gerbera daisies instead of the multi-million dollar bouquet. If you try to go this route you will wind up needing to ask for financial advice to dig yourself out of a debt hole and let's face it, no one wants to date the broke person.

The movies are full of romantic comedies with ridiculously extravagant story lines, speeches and dates that no individual could ever realistically hope to pull off. So either you go completely over the top and scare your Valentine away, or underwhelm and disappoint your valentine. There just doesn't seem to be a mid way point does there?

Well of course there is a mid point, you are just looking for love advice in all the wrong places. If you go looking for online dating tips from your friends and family who have never actually participated in online dating then you are setting yourself up for disaster. If they weren't right about all those blind dates they set you up with, then maybe, just maybe they may not be the most informed for this too.

So what can you do?

The answer is simple, listen to that little voice in your head. Ask yourself what would make you happy this Valentine's day. Decide what gesture would mean the most to you as an example of your mutual love for one another and do that. Look at your shared history for date ideas, not to a romance novel.

You could also try talking to your valentine and finding out what they would like to do. Once the onus is off one partner to read the others mind, 'poof' it isn't quite as daunting now is it. If you are meant to celebrate your relationship, then it makes sense that you should both be involved in the planning.

Seriously, that is all there is to it. Think. Plan. Do.

It can't get any easier. If you try to Rom-Com it, you will only fail by comparison. If you wuss out and ignore V day completely, then you are planning to fail anyway.

Try to ignore all the consumerist type of messages and just Keep It Simple Stupid. The best Valentine's memories are made when you are both relaxed and happy and enjoying each other's company. When you are stressing to impress, it will just come off as phony.

Looks like your Aunt Maude was right all along with her "Just be yourself and people will love you" message.