Would you love to move your relationship on a stage, but don't know the best way to make him commit? Does your relationship seem like a two-way street, or a one-way cul-de-sac? Do you feel committed to him, but scared that he's not committed to you? Many women feel like this, but there are a number of techniques you can use to make him commit, without resorting to emotional blackmail or bullying him into it.

1. ASK HIM!

If the very idea of asking him fills you with dread, then it's even more important that you do it. Much as we might like them to be, men are not psychic. As far as he's concerned, you might be perfectly happy with the relationship the way it is, and the only way he'll know different is if you tell him.

If you're scared that you won't get the answer you were hoping for, consider this. Is it better to let your relationship go on the way it is, with the very real risk of stagnation and resentment further down the line, or is it better to have the opportunity to fix things now? At the very worst, you'll find out if this relationship is a lost cause, and you can move on to better things before you get hurt even more.

2. OVERCOME INERTIA

People generally, and men in particular, don't like change. There's also a sneaky bit of biological programming running at the back of his mind that says he should share his genetic munificence with as many women as possible before settling down. So you need to overcome both of those tendencies if you're going to get a real commitment.

The way to do this is by gentle and persistent reassurance, and by demonstrating that you're the sort of person he should be spending his life with. If you're already in a relationship, you can overcome the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" tendency by subtly pointing out that it does need fixing in some way. If you're just at the dating stage, and he's continuing to see other women, play him at his own game and see other men. If you really want to make him commit, a little competitive jealousy can work wonders.

3. PLAY HARD TO GET

The nuclear option. This can work very well, but you need to do it right or you can kiss the relationship goodbye. Basically, you need to make your relationship more like it was at the beginning, when there was a bit of uncertainty and the thrill of the chase to hold his interest. Make yourself less available - don't return calls, keep evenings to yourself, go out with friends. If there's a chance that you won't be around, you'll soon find that he comes running.

A basic rule of human behaviour is that people want what they can't have. Introduce just enough of that element into your relationship, and you'll make him commit quicker than you could ever have hoped for.