A brilliant post from the Personal MBA points us towards the “dangers of mystique“.  Here’s an excerpt:

There’s a big difference between liking the idea of being/doing something and liking the actual being/doing.

It’s easy to like the idea of being a manager. It’s harder to like the demands from C-level execs, surprises from your direct reports, and the necessity of defending your turf in a political environment.

It’s easy to like the idea of getting an Ivy-League MBA or law degree. It’s harder to like the six-figure debt and the corresponding necessity of getting a 120-hour-a-week job to make the investment “worth it.”

It’s easy to like the idea of being self-employed. It’s harder to like the fact that 100% of your income comes from your own effort, and if you screw up, you’re the one that will face the consequences.

It’s easy to like the idea of being an author or professional blogger. It’s harder to like the solitude, uncertainty, and the long hours of “butt in chair, hands on keyboard” that consistent writing requires.

(The Bottomline?) 

No job, project, or position is flawless – every course of action has benefits and drawbacks. Learning what they are in advance gives you a major advantage: it allows you to examine an option without idealizing it, then choose if it’s really what you want to do with your time before you start. That kind of knowledge is priceless.

In other words, “look before you leap”.  Truer words were never spoken…