Are you ready to get engaged? 4 signs it's time

Should you get engaged? Here are some simple ways for couples in long-term relationships to determine if they're ready to take the next step toward marriage.

A long-term relationship can be a wonderful, fulfilling chapter in anyone's life. However, sometimes it can be difficult to assess whether it's the proper time to take the relationship to the next level and plan to get married. Here are some simple ways for couples in long-term relationships to determine if they're ready to take the next step toward marriage.

One strong sign that you're prepared to spend the rest of your life with someone is that you constantly envision your future with them. If you can't imagine your life and future plans without your partner, there's a good chance that you'll be able to successfully create a life and future together.

Marriage is a lifetime commitment, and it's unrealistic to expect that a lifetime will feel like a first date. Work, bills, and other life responsibilities can get in the way of romance. If you feel comfortable, content and even happy with the quiet and mundane moments in your relationship, you're probably prepared to make a commitment. Couples who go into a marriage expecting it to feel like a honeymoon for the rest of their lives are often disappointed when normal married life resumes.

Healthy, normal relationships are all about compromise, and compromise in relationships doesn't just mean making decisions that satisfy both partners. Sometimes compromise means giving in completely to what your partner wants and abandoning what you want. If you feel ready to give up some of your desires in order to fulfill the desires of your partner, you might be ready to tie the knot.

Of course, not everyone can be completely happy with his or her romantic partner every second of the day. However, if you're ready to commit your life to somebody, you have to give up the fantasy that you'll be able to change him or her. Being in a relationship can naturally influence people in certain ways, but partners can't change each other but themselves (unless you're ready to create resentment). If you're hanging onto the hope that your partner might change in some way, you're not ready to commit your life to that person. However, if you're 100 per cent content with your partner — flaws and all — you may be ready to share your life with him or her and watch your relationship grow.