Q. My boyfriend of two years and I get on really well but we've reached a stage where everything just feels kind of 'same old, same old'. I am 22 and he is 24. We're not yet ready to get engaged, or in a position to move in with each other. What do you think we can do to get that extra bit of commitment?

A. The very word 'commitment' means all or nothing. To commit yourself is to give yourself totally and utterly. You cannot get an 'extra bit', you either have it or you don't. However, you can take a step forward together towards a shared goal along the road to your future. What that is depends upon your mutual pleasures and tastes. It could be anything from joining a fitness club together or planning and saving for an adventurous holiday. Whatever you do now and whatever you achieve hand-in-hand, will create the special memories that only you two can share forever. And isn't that a positive step towards committing to each other?