All projects should either have an end date, or a set time in which you have to make a decision over whether you’re going to continue with it or not. Not only that, each party needs to have a similar out, and they need to know that that out exists.

An easy way to do this would be, ‘let’s try it out for so-and-so length of time, I’m also trying to do so-and-so (excuse).’ The length of time is entirely up to you, and the so-and-so excuse should be something personal like a long term goal or family-wise that you can always fall back on.

Too many times have I started a project and found it hard to get out of once I felt it had run its course. Too many times have I wanted for an out, but I’m too polite to actually say anything. This way you have a way of getting out that shouldn’t offend people, and will leave your relationship relatively unscathed.