You’ve been dating for a while, and things have been going extraordinarily. You would definitely like to see this person again, and again, and again. But when do you know to define the relationship? How do you know when it’s the right time to graduate to becoming an official couple?
This story first appeared on Lunch Click.
1. You make plans way in advance
Already invited him/her to a concert that’s taking place 3 weeks from now? That means you definitely know you want this other person in your life, and can see him/her in your future. Why not make it official then?
2. When you leave a gathering early...
everyone asks if you have a hot date with the person you’re “dating”
Having all your friends know about him/her means that either you’ve been talking about this person a lot, or you’ve been “just seeing where things go” for a really long time. Either way, if your friends have noticed, then this person is not in your life. It’s probably time to consider having the talk.
3. You’ve started to get possessive
We don’t want to possess people we don’t care about. If you care deeply enough about this person and who he/she sees, maybe it’s time to set some ground rules for your relationship. This is especially relevant if you yourself are no longer considering “other options,” and just want to keep seeing this one person.
4. You’ve already had a major fight
Anger makes it easier to walk away from a relationship. If you like the other person enough to work through that anger to try and manage the conflict between the two of you, this relationship is one that you want to continue pursuing. After all, you’ve already proven to yourself that it matters enough to you.
5. You want to
This is the biggest reason of all. If you’ve started to feel like you want to make things official, this person means a lot to you. Having found someone worth cherishing as a significant other, you really shouldn’t be afraid of graduating from dating to attached.
Dating can be restrictive and worrisome. It makes you wonder whether you’re missing out on other “options”, and whether you might be overstepping certain boundaries. With the plethora of dating outlets we have these days, especially with social media, dating apps and generally wider social circles, most modern relationships can end up hovering perpetually in the grey area. Hence, we shouldn’t be afraid of trying for something stable, enduring and meaningful. Defining the relationship paves the way to that.