You two have been going out for a while now and things couldn’t be any greater. He ticks most of the items on your “Perfect Match” list, he loves you, is responsible, takes good care of you, and is generally a good guy.
But why hasn’t he proposed yet? “What could be holding him back?” you wonder. Besides the obvious question of whether a man is interested in sealing your relationship, there are some telltale signs that he is ready to pop the famous four-lettered question.
Knowing that people and their relationships are not completely subject to being black and white like the points raised in articles like this, it is important that as you read through our list, you check them side-by-side with the experiences in your relationship and the man you’re dating.
He discusses important issues concerning both of you
If his discussions with you surpass shallow matters and actually cover important topics such as your goals, dreams, starting a family with you, a future with both of you in it together, having kids, etc then this guy could mean serious business.
Additionally, if his discussions include plans bothering around “we”, meaning the both of you, and not just “I” revolving around him, then this could mean he is hinting at a future of which you are part of.
It’s important to note that this point on its own doesn’t conclusively mean this guy wants to marry you. However, it definitely hints that he is thinking of building a more serious relationship with you. And essentially, it will be up to you to figure out what exactly his intentions are.
Your relationship is public knowledge
Do not confuse this to mean that your relationship is plastered on billboards or social media. Your relationship being public knowledge means that you two have a relationship where the key people in your life such as; friends, parents, family, colleagues [optionally], and people of interest, know about your relationship. When a man is comfortable with having your relationship in the open, it means he might be heading towards the marriage road with you.
Again, this point on its own is inconclusive to the fact that he may actually “wife” you. We’ve all heard of cases where certain Yoruba Demons [a.k.a heartbreakers] make their relationship with a girl public without the intention of marrying her. Yes guys, deep sigh.
He’s dating you exclusively
If your man is dating you exclusively, then he must mean business. Then again, this could mean otherwise.
However, it is a pro and indication that a man’s ready to settle down.
Only a serious guy would have his attention fully focused romantically on you.
He mentions wanting to marry you
Contrary to what some may think, a marriage proposal doesn’t just pop out of thin air.
Most men who are ready to settle down would have had discussions with their significant orders relating to marriage before actually proposing. Remember that marriage is designed to be a life-long commitment and no one would want to go into it if they weren’t sure about the person they’d be spending the rest of their life with.
Your opinion matters to him
Does he take your opinion seriously? If he does, he’s probably ready to settle down with you. But as usual, don’t get it twisted as this is not conclusive.
Men are naturally engineered to be full of ego and it would take a man who deeply respects you and sees you in his life long term to take your opinions seriously.
At the end of the day, do not take marriage advice from us as we are not marriage counsellors. However, we do know a thing or two about relationships.
Picture this, guys. You’re in a public place and then you spot a very beautiful lady and all you want to do is speak with her. Before you gather up the courage to walk up to her and get to know her, your brain raises an alarm and demands that the mission is aborted.
You abort the mission to speak to her and maybe, you’ll never quite forgive yourself for “effing up”.
One of the biggest reasons a guy avoids speaking to a girl he’s attracted to in public is that he simply has no clue how to approach her. As simple as it seems, walking up to a stranger, engaging them in a conversation is no small feat.
However, should a guy put in the work to learn the fundamentals about approaching a lady, he’ll have nothing to worry about when it comes to engaging the lady in a conversation.
Be Polite
A no brainer. First impressions do matter especially when trying to impress a woman so pay attention to your attitude. Be as polite as possible.
By remaining courteous, you would have no problem landing a subsequent date, and new friends.
Respect Her Personal Space
Most times the importance of personal space is overlooked. Remember you’re a stranger and so, must give as much respectable distance as possible.
You do not want to be that guy all up in a lady’s face. Not only would you lose a shot at a second meeting, but she’d find you irritating.
Don’t also forget that when it comes to respecting personal space, taking up too little space can be detrimental to your first meeting.
Be Real
As much as you work towards being polite, it is important not to lose yourself in the process. Most guys do not know this, but women prefer men who are real.
So toss the tough guy, act aside and be yourself around her. You may never know what about you she’d fall for.
But take caution not to get too comfortable while trying to be real. Importantly, you want to find a balance when it comes to being real and making a good first impression.
Watch Your Language
You do not want to be caught using vulgar words with a woman you approach. Not only would she be disgusted, but she’d most likely walk away or bring the conversation to an end.
Additionally, you do not want to smother a lady with over-familiar language. That’s just downright creepy.
Keep your lingo simple, clean, and sharp.
Genuinely Compliment Her
The first thing every man should know about women is that they love compliments. Any woman whether old or young, from an older generation or otherwise, is moved by compliments no matter how little.
There’s always something to compliment about. Whether it’s her physically, hair, dress, or non-physical like character, etc.
So compliment her, and extra points if she smiles at your compliments. So keep your compliments genuine and sweet.
Speak Less, Listen More
If you want to successfully make a great impression on any woman you meet, listen more. Yes, women love to be listened to. They have opinions they’d love to share so be patient and listen.
In addition to this, you want to steer clear off talking too much. Get to know her better; ask them questions and pay adequate attention to hearing what she has to say.
How to make your long distance relationship work
You probably believe long-distance relationships are weird, and never seem to work out. But that is not the case. People are in long-distance relationships for several reasons such as; work commitments of both parties, family situation, and even personal situations.
While some people may have sworn off long-distance romantic relationships, this arrangement has worked for several other couples – even leading to committed, and happy marriages.
Having scanned through the points made in the preceding paragraphs, it is still important to answer the question; “are long-distance relationships even worth it?”
These five tips may help in answering this question:
1. Set Clear Boundaries For The Relationship
It is important for both parties to be clear about their expectations from the relationship. For instance, what are your personal expectations with the use of social media? Are you comfortable making your relationship public? Is your partner allowed to date other people while you two are together?
Each party in the relationship should consider the following when setting boundaries. They should be self-aware, specific and direct, and be clear about what you want. Stay away from vague boundaries as this may be confusing for your partner.
2. Initiate Fun Activities
Dating from miles away is already a huge disadvantage for your relationship. This is why it is important to encourage fun activities.
Create special fun activities that both of you enjoy. It could be watching or binging on movies together, playing online games together, sharing interesting videos or sharing music playlists with each other.
If your partner isn’t willing to join in the fun, talk them into conforming by laying down the advantages this will have in your relationship.
3. Commit Fully To Your Partner
You want to put in your best in your long-distance relationship. Be responsible enough to commit yourself fully to your partner. What boundaries have been set by you and your partner? Make sure to respect them.
Committing fully to your partner is proof that you take both them and your relationship seriously.
4. Be Clear On Future Plans
While the premise of your relationship [long distance] works, for now, there’s no guarantee that this will work in the long term. Partners have to project their future together and put certain plans on paper.
For instance; when will you two settle down? What’s the end goal of your relationship? Where will you two be settling down in eventually? What country or city would the both of you settle in? etc.
5. Make Plans To Spend Time Physically Together
It’s good to know that your relationship is working fine. However, it’s necessary to plan a time where you two can be together physically. Whether it’s a vacation or just paying each other visits, make sure you put things in place to see each other now and then.
