The only way I know how to keep control of emotions with women is to NOT lock onto just one. The minute you start thinking you have a 'main plate' or a favorite, or just exclusivity, you begin to turn into something women do not like. The only way is to have more than one women you are seeing. You have to have options. You have to treat all women the same, and stop thinking of individual chicks as special snowflakes.
I have seen this time and time again...
Boy meets girl,
Boy acts like a man,
Girl falls for man,
Girl worries she will lose man,
Girl nags man to change into something no other women would want so she can have him all to herself,
Man is worn down through nagging... and becomes a 'boy' again.
Girl wants a man, not a boy.
Girl dumps boy.
I don't recommend 'relationships' EVER, but if you are going to dive into that shark tank you MUST know that SHE has to be the one asking for exclusivity, if she doesn't then you just keep on seeing other women and making dates. When she asks for exclusivity then YOU control the relationship by setting the conditions for what the 'relationship' looks like. This is NOT setting boundaries, setting boundaries is stupid and a waste of time. This is where you lay out that you will NOT CHANGE for her... you are not going to give up your friends, you are NOT going to change jobs, sell you boat, give up things you love. She takes you as you are, and if she ever gets to the point where she wants you to change then she might as well walk away. The negotiation isn't about her, and what she does.... it's about YOU and what YOU want.
Telling her what you want her to do makes you look weak. You can not watch her 24-7 she will do what she wants to do and there isn't a darn thing you can do about it.... Setting boundaries you can not enforce makes you look weak, since it is impossible to police her, any demands that can not be enforced causes her to lose respect for you.
All you can do is lay out that you are NOT changing for her...... she fell for you for who you are, and if you change you no longer are what she fell for. Women are like children... they don't really know what they want... she THINKS she wants you to change, but if you do you are sowing the seeds of her own disinterest in you. She wants you to be a rock, and if you start flopping around based on what she wants she will lose interest.