If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably dreaming of a life that’s in some way different than the life you’re living now.

So I want to ask you: Do you know what your dream life looks like? (If you don’t have an immediate answer, take a few minutes to think about this.)

Great.

Now ask yourself… Is this really my dream? Am I sure this is what I want?

Here’s why I think these are important questions: There’s a lot of hype and glamour out there about “living like a king on the cheap” and “working from your laptop on the beach” and the “four-hour work week”.

All of that sounds great, if it’s what you really want.

(Working on my laptop at the beach is actually pretty annoying, if you ask me, between the glare and the sand blowing everywhere. Definitely not part of my dream.)

Take a step back to evaluate what kind of life you truly want, and why you want it.

The sooner you figure out what you really want, the less time you’ll spend chasing the wrong dream, and the more specific you can get about the ideal life for you.

If you just go chasing someone else’s dream, without exploring whether it’s really what’s best for you, you might end up living yet another lifestyle you don’t enjoy and feeling completely unfulfilled.

As you read about others’ lives, pay attention to what is attractive to you, and try to put yourself in their shoes.

Would you really enjoy that lifestyle day in, day out?

What’s the downside of that lifestyle, and are you prepared for that, too? Do you want this bad enough that it’ll be worth putting up with some of the day-to-day hassles?

If you’re obsessed with the idea of living in an RV, for example, learn more about what it’s really like, beyond the glamorous stories. Or try it out on a short-term basis to see if it’s really what you want.

Creating your ideal life is totally worth it.

But you’ll be much happier in the long run if you create your dream life, instead of living someone else’s.

How about you? Have you been able to recognize what lifestyle you really do (or don’t) want?

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