You've been dating this really wonderful guy for about a year now. You're ready to move on to a deeper level of commitment but he just seems to be content to stay exactly where we are. You're not willing to go on forever just dating him. You've sent hints. You've dropped clues. What can you do to get your boyfriend to really commit and take your relationship to the next level? You don't want to lose him but you're not sure if you can keep going on in some state of indefinite relationship limbo. You need help!

There are a LOT of girls in your position. I know, that doesn’t help you feel better right now. This isn't about them, after all. You want the simple solution to your particular problem. The problem is, there is no simple solution to be had. What you're going to have to do is make a few tough decisions and decide how badly you need that commitment from him and just how resolved you are that without this commitment you're going to have to walk away from the relationship completely.

Not all women are able to take that step and risk losing the relationship forever. Other women though feel, deep down inside, that the potential reward of a deeper commitment is well worth the risk of losing him altogether. Unfortunately for you, you are the only person who can make that decision.

If you're willing to take the risk in hopes of cashing in on the reward of a deeper level of commitment to your Mr. Right then you will want to keep a few things in mind. Doing things the right way the first time around can spare you a great deal of unnecessary heartache. It may even prevent you from taking the risk that you'll have to worry about how to get your ex back over all this instead.

• Talk to him. He's a man. He's probably a fairly intelligent man if he's taken your heart so completely. Sit down and talk to him about what his plans for the future are, if he sees you in his future, and whether or not he's willing to move on to a higher level of commitment with you. You might be surprised by his answers.
• Show him that love doesn't have to be a burden by making it a reward for him. There are few things more effective than sweetening a deal to make it go through. Add some very real relationship sweeteners to give him a good taste of what he'll have should he decide on a future with you.
• Ask for a trial run of a deeper commitment. Give it a week or even a month. See how it works out for the two of you during your "trial run" and then you can both make an informed decision about what you want for the future.

You don't have to go all in to make it to a deeper level of commitment. It's time to discuss your options and see what's really available to you both. You might be surprised to discover that just having the discussion is all it takes to save your relationship a lot of future pain.