This is a question that plagues most people at some point in a long-term (or even short-term) relationship. Are you ready to take it to the next level and pledge the rest of your life to another person? Even if you\u2019re in love, it can be a difficult concept to wrap your mind around. And whether you and your significant other start discussing the possibility after six months or six years, you may not have a ready answer. So if you\u2019re hesitant to tie the knot, here are a few things to consider before you buy the ring (or alternately, accept it).<\/p>\n
1. Age. Everyone says this shouldn\u2019t matter, but it does. With one in three marriages ending in divorce these days, you really need to think about how long the rest of your life actually is. If you\u2019re under 30 (or even if you\u2019re older), just remember that there\u2019s no rush. And keep in mind that mental age doesn\u2019t always match physical age. Until you really know yourself, you can\u2019t possibly hope to know what you want from a partner.<\/p>\n
2. Personal goals. If you\u2019ve been planning to study abroad since you were in high school, think about how you might feel if you let your dream fall by the wayside in favor of getting hitched. Somewhere down the road, you may end up regretting your rash decision to choose love over your long-term plans (especially once the honeymoon phase ends).<\/p>\n
3. Relationship goals. You need to sit down and have a long talk with your honey to determine if your lives are headed in the same direction. If one of you wants kids and the other doesn\u2019t, that could be a deal-breaker. Perhaps you have very different career goals (you want to travel while your partner would rather stay put). Or you might be planning for a six-figure salary, a home, and a heavy investment portfolio while the love of your life is content to work at a convenience store. These types of disparities can ruin a relationship over time, so try to spot them before you say \u201cI Do\u201d.<\/p>\n
4. Lust versus love. Falling in love is a fantastic feeling that most of us would like to preserve forever. Unfortunately, the feeling will fade and then you\u2019re actually going to have to live with this person. So unless you have a deeper love that includes mutual respect and genuine
\ncompanionship (rather than simple lust), you\u2019re going to wind up with a problem down the road.<\/p>\n
5. Hesitation. If you\u2019re hesitating at all (whether the reasons are obvious or not), you probably aren\u2019t ready. Take a step back and try to evaluate why you\u2019re reluctant to walk down the aisle. You might find that you just need more time, or it may be that the one you\u2019re with simply isn\u2019t THE ONE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is a question that plagues most people at some point in a long-term (or even short-term) relationship. Are you ready to take it to the next level and pledge…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[711],"tags":[180,73,181,156,77],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-divorce","tag-marriage","tag-ready","tag-relationship","tag-wedding"],"yoast_head":"\n