We recently returned from a great vacation up to Traverse City, Michigan. We usually visit during the week of July 4th because it lines up with their annual National Cherry Festival. We can literally walk out of our rental and run into a slew of parades, carnivals, and other great kid-friendly events that our girls really enjoy. Add in the lake access and a slew of great restaurant options and you can quickly see why we enjoy it so much.

In fact, the first time we visited Traverse City, I remember telling my wife that we should move there as I had quickly fallen in love with the idea of the place.

Thankfully, I relayed my thoughts to a business partner who happened to own some land just outside of Traverse City. Upon hearing my story, he chuckled and said…

“Brian, you know the lake is frozen until May, right?”

And just like that, reality set in.

The idea of living in Traverse City was based on my experience of being there during the best weather/activity week of the entire year. But the reality of actually living there year round wasn’t quite my cup of tea.

This is a great example of why it’s so important to ask ourselves this question before making any big life decisions…

Does my idea match reality?

Some examples might include…

I love the idea of a bigger house but is it worth the extra cost & maintenance?

I love the idea of a luxury car but will I just worry about it getting scratched up all the time?

I love the idea of a promotion and better pay but is the extra time away from my family worth it?

To be clear, the answer to any of these questions might be yes. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s crucial that you ask yourself the question first. Otherwise you might find yourself in brutal Traverse City winter wondering what the heck you were thinking…