Hello, I'm new to posting here, but I've learned a lot from reading everyone's great advice. After a few things happened last night, I began wondering if perhaps I've completely ignored girls who have been interested in me in the past, just because I was unprepared for (or didn't even recognize) their IOIs.

Just a little about myself. I'm an attractive and intelligent guy in my mid-20s. I generally don't have to do much to get girls interested in me, but I find it very difficult to transfer that initial interest to action. (Either I try to hard, or not at all)

Last night I was out celebrating a friend's birthday at a club and just dancing and chatting with my friends not really looking to pick up girls.

At the end of the evening, I was waiting in line to get my coat and so I chatted up the girl behind me. She was nice and talkative. After I got my coat I said good night and ran to catch up with my friends. But after I said good night, she blew me a kiss. I've been blown many kisses before, but all of a sudden I thought that this could be an IOI. But I thought I would seem desperate going back to her to chat her up after saying goodbye. What should I have done? I get these air kisses all the time and don't really know how to escalate from there...

Welcome to the forum! Now down to business, if a chick is blowing kisses at you obviously she wants you to come back to her, how in the world do you seem desperate from accepting her invitation?
If girls are opening you up and showing you that they are clearly attracted to you, you've got half the battle won. Be direct, tell her she's hot or cute. Flirt with her, touch her, get sexual and get closer. Make a move.
If you have trouble escalating read 60 yoc, ESP model, the DiCarlo Escalation ladder, or M3 model, they have some different types of escalation techniques that may help.

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"The bird sets itself on fire… and in the embers is an egg. In order to do great things, you've got to recreate yourself again ,and you can’t do that holding to a glory or a failure from yesterday. "

Thanks for the advice. I've checked out the Dicarlo escalation ladder before (and actually used it successfully a couple of times). I guess from reading the Game I internalized the idea that you should always keep a girl guessing, that she should never know for sure if you like her. But it makes sense that if she offers an IOI then I should return the favor by flirting with her. I'll read up on those escalation techniques and start making some moves.

No problem
Good luck!

_________________
"The bird sets itself on fire… and in the embers is an egg. In order to do great things, you've got to recreate yourself again ,and you can’t do that holding to a glory or a failure from yesterday. "