I feel you mystery man.....I am kind of in the same spot.

I am lonely but I don't want to settle either.

I hope others here post good ideas!

I haven't had the best track record, the past couple girlfriends.

When you say desperate, what exactly do you mean? Mentally? financially? Emotionally? I would say I've been all three myself. I was plugging along having the occasional online date until last fall when I injured my rotator cuff and suffered all winter in pain while trying to learn a new job. Then my car broke down and I went without transportation for three months. I was busy planning my daughter college graduation all spring and now here I am sitting at home alone doing nothing during these beautiful days of summer. I guess I should get back to the dating scene, but my mojo has gone MIA.
So I guess I would say you just have to put yourself out there.

Emotionally, and physically, I am good when it comes to money.

My shrink told me along time ago, "The hard times are the growing times." That has been an enduring lesson I have used well over the years, every time it gets hard. If your desperate, then maybe working through the reasons why, would be better then clinging to someone out of fear of the loneliness. I find that desperation attracts desperation.

How is this mindset keeping you from getting a date? I could see where it might turn someone off during a date. If you realize that this is causing problems, then is that not motivation to change at least the behavior if not the inner thoughts? Fake it till you make it sort of.

Well I've heard that if you get into hobbies, do something you like you can meet others with like minds without seeming desperate. Like those meetup things. You just go and do. No one has to know or think your desperate.

I'll tell you what desperate is those women who go into grocery stores dressed like hookers, those are desperate. lol.

You won't seem desperate if your out just doing normal everyday things, I wouldn't think, just be seen and get out there. Being behind a computer will only get you into online dating sites, but I mean they're not too bad, but that's how a lot of people are meeting these days.

Just because your alone and lonely doesn't mean your desperate, no one wants to be lonely. Atleast I know I don't. There's nothing wrong with wanting companionship, but I think that if that is all your thinking about, not getting anything done then it becomes a problem.

Hugs.

Like Madashells comments...hobby, yes good idea...pursue something you've always wanted to do but for whatever reason, couldn't. I found that when I was doing things that interested me...men would come at me from every nook and cranny...even if I didn't feel ultimately feel a romantic connection, I was never lonely because there was a common interest shared...

try to cool yourself down. you can't think clearly when you feel desperate. you will be prone to making impulse/unconscious decision which can highly likely lead to wrong relationship where you wil feel miserable and may even miss your solo life.
Instead of thinking only about good things relationship brings, try to think about the responsibility that requires to maintain the relationship. even great relationship (similar morals, beliefs, value etc..) requires constant effort & communication to be in sync (so avoid drifting apart both internally and externally) in long run and it does not come free nor easy.
Also looking for a relationship becasue you want to fill the void inside you is not a good reason to go look for a relationship. Somesay lonliness is internally driven issue so it needs to be fixed internally. if one tries to fix it through external means (someone or something), it will only make it worse.
First of all, things that are exernal of us is not in our control (we can put effort into higher chance of favourable outcome but outcome ultimately is not in our hands).
Also, when you start clining onto others to erase your lonliness, you can become obsessive (even wanting to control) which will eventually make you miserable and also other person in the relationship miserable.
If you feel lonely becasue you are bored, there are many interesting thing out there that can easily distract/entertain you.
find your passion in someting and dig in, learn more about it, study/research more about it......who knows, you might meet someone along the way who have same passion/interest as you.