When a guy says I want you in my life

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1. When he talks about the future, you're in it. Whether he's discussing your vacation six months from now or where he wants to be living in five years, you're the one he's going to go to Paris with or take a cooking class with or, I don't know, go shopping for jeans with.

2. He likes being domestic with you. You might as well be living together, since you spend every weekend at his place (or your place). You have clothes, toothbrushes, and towels stashed away for sleepovers. He doesn't really cook, but he gets jazzed to go grocery shopping together and make a meal with you.

3. He makes major life decisions around you. Moving is a pain in the ass. You don't move closer to someone just because they're good in bed. If he's arranging his life around you or turning down faraway jobs, it's a pretty strong sign he wants you in his life forever.

4. You're pretty much expected at family gatherings. Just because you're not legally family doesn't mean you're not treated as such. His family doesn't even bother extending a separate invitation to birthdays and holidays. They're just assuming you're showing up (and they're really disappointed if you don't). If you can make it so his parents are disappointed to see their own son, you're doing something right.

5. He talks about "our kids." It doesn't matter if the second half of that sentence is, "I want to name them Tokka and Rahzar after the bad guys in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze." It just matters that in the back of his mind, he's thinking about how you're going to crank out some babies together.

6. He stays in touch with your family. He actually throws himself into the lion's den that is your family for the sake of maintaining relationships. Only crazy people and men who are in it for the long haul would bother friending your dad on Nike +.

7. He avoids your pet peeves. If you've told him you're annoyed when he doesn't put things away or buys too many gadgets, he makes a point to correct those behaviors. Because he knows one day you two will be sharing a place, so he might as well break the habits now.

8. You bought a dog. Or a house. Granted, these are very different commitments (You can't live in a dog!) but the thought behind them the same: He's assuming you're going to be together a long time. At least a dog's lifetime. What?! Sorry.

9. His stuff becomes "our stuff." The Voice being "our show" is one thing. The couch being "our couch" is another. When everything that's his is yours, it becomes "our life." Also, sharing everything makes it a lot harder to break up. You know what's worse than being alone? Being alone and navigating Crate and Barrel. So that couch is basically an engagement ring.

10. He still tries to surprise you. No one can be on romantic point all the time, but he's at least trying to keep things interesting. He makes a point to bring home flowers or plan a date night because it's important to him that you don't settle into a groove. Grooves are for 20 years from now!

11. He sticks through the rough patches. Anyone who's not looking for a serious relationship will just peace out if there's trouble. If he wants to work through problems with you, it's because this issue seems like nothing compared to his love for you. If he comes to your room every day to tell you the story of how the two of you met and fell in love, you are the old lady in The Notebook.

12. He says he wants to marry you. Talking about your engagement and ruining the surprise factor sounds unromantic, but it's super practical. And also nice because it keeps you from wondering if he's ever going to propose. The only time someone has ever said this and not meant it is when they were secretly trying to murder you and your sister so he can take over your kingdom (Yeah, that's a Frozen reference. I saw it in theaters with my parents. Fight me.).

13. He pushes you to accomplish your goals. He wants to see you grow and achieve real happiness because yours is just as important to him as his own. Also, no one wants to spend the rest of their lives with the sad guy from Garden State.

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Have you ever dated someone you thought was “the one” only to find out months or even years into the relationship that they had no intention of making it official?

It’s heartbreaking.

It’s the kind of news that can leave you reeling for a long time and cause you to distrust new partners from the very beginning.

All of a sudden, you’re one of those women who is asking if he wants to get married and have kids on your first date so that you don’t waste any more time on him if he’s not interested in the same things you’re interested in.

It’s tough.

But to avoid looking like you’ve got a one-track mind and to make sure you protect your heart, here are some signs to help you see whether or not he’s in this for the long haul or just messing around for a while.

These signs are jam-packed with insightful information about how he really feels and what he wants.

Let’s go.

1. He is honest with you

If he’s clear with how he is feeling, and he tells you that he loves you and he wants to spend a lot of time with you, then you can be certain that he wants a relationship with you.

I’ll be the first to admit that it takes a lot of guts for a man to admit how he is feeling, so take it from me:

If a man is telling you that he has strong feelings for you, you’d better believe him.

Men don’t usually tell someone they love them unless they want a relationship with them, and they’re confident that their love interest loves them back.

So you can be sure he wants a relationship with you if he is telling you he has feelings for you.

However, don’t be too disheartened if he doesn’t tell you he has feelings for you.

Why?

Because not all men are honest with their feelings. And that’s normal.

It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want a relationship.

You just need to build trust and rapport before he feels comfortable enough to tell you how he feels.

And you’re going to have to pick up on the signs below to figure out if he wants a relationship with you.

2. He spends hours and hours asking you questions and questions

If he can sit all day long and ask you question after question about yourself (and he actually listens to your answers) put it down that he definitely likes you.

Guys don’t do that for fun. It takes effort for a man to be curious. They only ask questions when they like a girl and they want to build a connection.

And don’t forget:

If he remembers all the finer details of what you say, then that’s also a great sign.

Why?

Because it shows that he’s desperate to build rapport with you.

He’s taking in what you have to say, and he’s using that information to go deeper into who you truly are.

The truth?

He’s looking to build a strong connection, and if he’s looking for a strong connection with you, then he probably wants to be in a relationship with you.

3. He’s told you he wants to be exclusive with you

Well, this one is fairly obvious, isn’t it?

If he makes it clear that he is dating you and only you, then that by itself says that he wants to be in a long-term relationship with you.

There’s no doubt about it.

After all, he doesn’t want you to see anyone else. It would probably hurt him too much. He wants to talk to you and only you.

And he doesn’t want there to be any ambiguity about where you two stand.

Look, we all know what single men are like. They strive to date as many women as they possibly can. They keep multiple women around as an option, but never fully commit.

But not him. He wants you for him and him for you, and that’s a sure sign that he’d love to be in a relationship with you and possibly even more in the future.

If you want to figure out if this guy wants you exclusively, check out our video below on 7 signs he doesn’t want anyone else to have you.

4. You’re a priority in his life

This is similar to the previous point. If it’s apparent that you come first in his life, then you can be sure he wants a relationship with you.

In fact, men are taught from a young age that they should never make a female their number one priority in life unless they’re their girlfriend.

And that’s fair advice because men would be regularly emotionally bruised if that were the case.

So if you’re confident that he considers you his number one priority, then it shows that he has decided that you’re important to him and he wants to have a relationship with you.

By the way, I’m not talking about him dropping everything for you. That’d be weird, co-dependent, and toxic (let’s be honest).

But it means that he organizes meetings with you in advance, he shows up, never cancels plans, consistently chats with you on messaging apps, and most importantly, takes action to show you that he cares for you.

There’s a space for you in his life, and he’s subconsciously telling you to come to join him.

In the end, when a guy makes you a priority, it’s obvious.

There’s no second-guessing or hesitation from your end. You just know that he’s there for you when you need him.

5. He tells you all the gossip about his family and friends

One of the most important things to watch for is how he talks about his friends and family.

If he skims the surface and doesn’t give you much to go on, he’s probably not thinking about the future together.

However, if he tells you all the annoying things his family does or his sister does, then it’s a good sign he sees you being around for a while.

According to dating expert Celia Schweyer, vulnerability is a sure sign that he cares and wants to make sure you know what you’re getting into with him and his posse.

6. You don’t have to do anything

One way to tell that this guy is looking for a long-term relationship is that you don’t have to do any of the chasing.

If he likes you and wants to make you a part of his life, he’ll do all the work.

The thrill of the chase is fun sometimes, but for him, he wants to make it clear to you what he is looking for by showing you how serious he is about you and this relationship.

7. He’s settled in his life

Now we’ve spoken a lot about how he treats you to figure out if he wants a relationship, but we need to cover his current circumstances in life.

Is he ready for a relationship?

After all, when it comes to settling down in a relationship, time is everything (especially for a man).

If he doesn’t have a stable job, no money in the bank, and he’s jumping from place to place, he may not be looking for a relationship.

On the other hand, if he owns a car and he is looking to buy a house, then you know he’s settled down and ready to meet the love of his life.

You can also learn a lot about your man by the kind of dating life he is experiencing right now.

Does it sound like he is jumping from date to date? Proud of having a “bachelor pad?”

He might be settled down in terms of his job and his house, but he might be relishing being a “playboy” and bringing over girls every second night.

And that’s the kind of guy that doesn’t want a relationship.

Of course, if you’ve only just started dating him, it can be tough to figure out if he is a player or he genuinely likes you.

So here’s how you tell:

If he spends time talking himself up and avoids asking you too many questions, then it’s more than likely he’s a player and not a nice guy. In this case, he is just wasting your time.

But if he asks you genuine questions, listens, and then repeats with follow-up questions, the signs point to him genuinely being interested in developing a relationship with you.

8. He talks about his plans for the future with you and asks about yours

Is he asking you about your future plans? Talks about his own?

This is a sign that he is ready for a relationship.

Why?

Because if he is asking you about your future plans, he’s trying to figure out if you’ll fit into his plans (you know for a relationship, and who knows, maybe even marriage!)

For example, if you share that you’re going overseas next year, he’ll probably sigh and look disappointed.

After all, he considers you an option for building a strong relationship and if you’re going overseas then that clearly won’t be happening.

If he’s only interested in a fling with you, then he probably won’t care that you’re going overseas because it doesn’t affect his plans.

Don’t fall for that guy.

And let’s be honest:

Guys don’t make a lot of plans for the future that they reveal publicly so if your man is all about what is happening next week, next month and next year – there’s a good chance he’s to be yours forever.

Does he use the word “we” when talking to you about the future? If so, he loves you.

According to dating expert Michael Fraley, “if your partner often talking about trips you will one day take together or what your children will look like” then there is a “pretty good chance they see longevity with you.”

9. He shows up when you need help

If you call him for help, does he show up as soon he can?

Do you know in your heart that you can always rely on him to be there for you?

If he is the one who shows up when things are going wrong, he’s probably in love and he’s ready for a relationship with you.

According to psychotherapist Christine Scott-Hudson:

“Pay twice as much attention to how someone treats you than what they say. Anybody can say they love you, but the behavior doesn’t lie. If someone says they value you, but their actions indicate otherwise, trust their behavior.”

The fact of the matter is this:

If he is showing he cares for you by helping you whenever you need it, then he might be a guy that you want to hold onto.

10. He shares his feelings with you

We all know that men aren’t usually the ones to speak about their feelings.

It takes so much effort for them.

Therefore, if he’s spilling his feelings on you and getting all emotional, you can bet your bottom dollar he loves you enough to want to be in a relationship with you.

You can usually tell how open he is to expressing his feelings when he isn’t afraid to answer all of your questions.

It’s obvious that he isn’t trying to hide things from you.

11. He wants to be a part of your life

Just as much as he wants to share everything with you, he also wants to be a part of your life.

In fact, he wants to immerse himself in it.

He doesn’t just want to meet your family and friends. He goes out of his way so that they will like him.

He tries to spend time with the people who matter to you, too. He’s not afraid to become a permanent fixture in your life.

He even wants to be a part of things you’re passionate about. He wants to try yoga because you love it, or go to a cooking class with you even if that’s not something he would normally do.

It’s one thing that he takes interest in you. But when he starts participating in your life because he wants to “belong” in it, that means he truly loves you and he definitely wants a relationship with you.

12. You’re on the automatic invite list with his friends

When the guys are getting together, they already assume you’ll be tagging along.

This auto-invite is something that happens when you’ve been accepted by his friends and family.

They’ll ask after you if you don’t show up one night and give him hell for leaving you home.

It’ll only happen once though because he’s just as serious about you as his friends are.

13. He gives you all of his attention

There might be millions of women out there but to him, you really are one in a million. He only cares about what you are doing and how you are doing.

He doesn’t pay attention to others around him, especially women. He locks eyes on you and can’t look away.

He will spend hours talking to you, even if you think there are much prettier women in the room that he could be talking to.

Research from Loyola University suggests that people who are in love have lower levels of serotonin, which could be a sign of obsession.

“This may explain why we concentrate on little other than our partner during the early stages of a relationship,” said obstetrician-gynecologist Mary Lynn, DO.

Don’t let a little self-doubt fool you: this guy has fallen hard. With so many distractions in the world today, if someone pays you that much attention, it’s with good reason.

And if he is fallen that hard, then it’s more than likely he is ready for a relationship with you.

14. He’s candid and transparent and tells it like it is

You’ll know he’s in this for the long-haul when he starts sharing stories about his past and where he came from.

He’ll share horror stories and wins with you. He doesn’t hold back. He wants you to know what you’re getting into so that nobody wastes any time here.

But he’s not just telling you so you can make a calculated decision about your future, he’s telling you because it’s important that the woman he loves knows exactly who he is. It’s part of his values system.

15. He’s not afraid to be himself.

Guys talk a good game but if he can relax and be himself around you – his words – then you know he’s into you as much as you are into him.

He can his true authentic self because he trusts you and feels comfortable.

According to Rob Pascale and Lou Primavera Ph.D. in Psychology Today, “Trust is one of the keystones of any relationship—without it two people cannot be comfortable with each other and the relationship lacks stability.”

If you find he is different around his friends and family than how he acts around you, this could be a red flag that he is trying to hide something from you.

More often than not, however, it’s actually that he feels the most comfortable with you and so you get to see the real him.

How can you tell?

Pay attention to what he tells you about himself. If he seems to be leaving out details or is glazing over important parts of the conversation, it’s not really love.

But if he is prepared to reveal everything about his life, even the bad bits, then it’s likely that he genuine about his feelings for you.

And most importantly, he wants a long-term relationship with you.

16. He doesn’t cancel on you, no matter what

He might be riddled with a cold, but cold-be-damned, he is not canceling a date with you.

You’ll eventually have to talk him into going to bed…alone, so he can rest and feel better, but just know that he makes the effort where it counts. He doesn’t want to disappoint you in any way.

17. He kisses you hello and goodbye

Guys who are into girls in a big way always develop some kind of routine for greeting and saying goodbye.

If he hugs you or kisses you hello and does the same at goodbye, it’s because he sees you growing old together and having a ritual of welcoming and parting.

He might not even realize he’s doing that himself, but it’s an easy way for you to tell if he’s committed or not.

18. He has called you his girlfriend in front of other people

If nothing else, you’ll know he wants to be in a long-term relationship and not just a casual fling when he starts referring to you as his girlfriend in his circles.

Another thing to watch out for, if he hasn’t yet said the girlfriend word, is whether or not his family and friends have called you his girlfriend – it’s not so much about the use of the word as it is how he reacts to the use of the word.

Watch for signs that he likes the sound of it to know he’s interested in a relationship. It’ll help you seal this deal sooner.

19. He tells you about things he did and isn’t proud of

He wants you to know that he’s not perfect and that he doesn’t expect anyone else to be perfect either.

He wants you to know that he can learn from his mistakes and that he won’t always be able to keep it together, but that it’s worth it to wait for him to come around to be better.

Guys don’t just tell you all the ways they messed up for fun – he wants you to know and see him the way nobody ever has.

20. You know about all of his past relationship failures

While the jury’s out about whether or not you should share information about your past relationships, he wants you to know where he’s messed up so you can see that he’s matured and changed over the years.

It takes two to tango and he probably wants to know about your relationships as well. It’s not that he’s living in the past, but that he wants to share his future with someone who respects all of him.

21. He says he is tired of dating

You know how this feels: another date. Another blind date. Another fix up from a friend. It becomes a lot.

He’s already said a few times that he is tired of dating and wants to find someone he can be with for the rest of his life.

It’s not that he is looking to settle, but he wants to get a feel for where you stand on the issue.

22. He makes you and your needs a priority

You’ll know he’s serious about this relationship because he comes around when you need him and he has no problem putting you and your needs first.

It’s not that he wants to ditch his friends, but he wants to give this relationship the time it needs to flourish. He knows that nothing works if you don’t work it.

23. His actions speak louder than his words

He might not be saying he loves you just yet, but he lets you know in lots of little ways just how important you are to him.

You feel loved when he holds you and talks to you and shares experiences with you.

It’s not rocket science but it feels like it could be at times – this stuff feels more complicated than it needs to be sometimes.

24. He is looking for someone to build a life with – not to fit into his lifestyle

Because he’s serious about being in a relationship, he’s not looking for someone to just retrofit into his lifestyle; he wants someone to build a new life with and he makes it clear that he wants to have someone to grow old with.

He might not have great furniture or a nice place but don’t let that stop you from seeing this guy’s potential.

It could be that he just hasn’t invested in his own life yet because he’s waiting for someone to invest in with him.

25. It’s assumed he will bring you when he hangs out with his family and friends

Even if you aren’t getting the long-game vibe from this guy, you can be assured that he’s thinking long-term with you when his friends and family are disappointed when you have to leave.

They ask if you’re coming around when he says he’s coming to visit.

They just assume you’ll be riding a shotgun when he pulls into the drive.

If he’s not saying and you’re not asking, you can still find the information you need by looking at how his family and friends treat you.

If you want specific advice on your situation, it can be very helpful to speak to a relationship coach.

I know this from personal experience…

A few months ago, I reached out to Relationship Hero when I was going through a tough patch in my relationship. After being lost in my thoughts for so long, they gave me a unique insight into the dynamics of my relationship and how to get it back on track.

If you haven’t heard of Relationship Hero before, it’s a site where highly trained relationship coaches help people through complicated and difficult love situations.

In just a few minutes you can connect with a certified relationship coach and get tailor-made advice for your situation.

I was blown away by how kind, empathetic, and genuinely helpful my coach was.

Click here to get started.

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