letter to your future self essay

How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self (with an Example)

There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

“ Dear future me , I’d love to remind you not to grow old.” These words were written quite boldly in one of my first future self letters . I didn’t have a letter to future self example to work off at the time, but I instinctively knew I wanted to discuss the things that scared me with my future self. 

Perhaps the assumption is that your future self will be wiser and more readily know how to handle your current worries , or maybe it’s important to remind your future self that you didn’t know now what you will know then.  

Either way, a future self letter is a vital tool for self-development and personal growth. It can also be a great giggle in a few years’ time when you read your thoughts and fears of today and realize you worried about things that didn’t happen. 

With my future self letters, I set goals , tracking my progress at different future dates, revising, and growing. What will your future self letter contain?

Table of Contents

The When, Where, and Why of Writing a Letter to Your Future Self

A letter to your future self is a record of your life right now , creating a document you can reflect on when you have traveled a few years down the line. It also gives you a way to reflect on your life right now and consider how it will appear in the future. 

I always loved the line from The Terminator , where one waitress tells the other, “ Look at it this way: in 100 years, who’s going to care ? ” A future self letter is about your current self wondering whether anyone will care about things in a decade, or when you’re 50, 60, or older. 

Future self letters are also about capturing special moments or pivotal experiences, so you won’t forget these in the future. Getting the job of your dreams only to quit it a day later because you realize other things matter more may be an example of a “future self letter moment.”

You can write a future self letter anytime, whenever you need to capture some important information or leave a bit of wisdom for yourself in the near future. The where of a future self letter may depend on the situations you experience and what you desire. You may be struck by inspiration while on your morning commute. Whenever an opportunity arises to write to your future self, you should take hold of it with both hands. 

Every person’s “why” of writing depends on what they experience and how they interpret their experiences in life. You may want to write to your future self to be heard , seen , and understood . Or you may write your future self letter to maintain a forward-facing attitude in life. Future self letters can also help you deal with issues and accept that not all worries will come true (in fact, most won’t). 

Pros and Cons of a Future Self Letter

There are several pros and cons to writing future self letters. Let’s consider the pros first:

• It allows you to reflect and remember.
• It brings planning into your control.
• It helps to place life in perspective . 
• It shares your daily legacy and records your growth .
• It develops forward thinking instead of only focusing on the now (and the now can be totally overwhelming).

When you write future self letters, there are also a few cons to keep in mind :

• You can become fixated on your future self , forgetting to live in the now.
• Procrastination can worsen when you try to write a “perfect” future self letter—and the point is to just write one (no matter what’s in it).
• You may try to make your life “epic,” forgetting that your life is unique and amazing as it is, so don’t dress up your life—just be you. 

Writing a Letter to Your Future Self: Step by Step

Ready to write your first future self letter ? It can be quite intimidating to know where to start. You may not even know what to put into the letter, and are you supposed to read the letter again, or do you bury it in a dated envelope like some secret mission instructions? 

Here are a few steps to help you get started with writing your future self letters and demystify the process: 

1. Decide on Frequency and Reasons for Writing Your Future Self Letters

Before you put pen to paper, decide why you are writing to your future self. Are you hoping to remind yourself of things happening now for when you are living in the future? Perhaps you want to spread gratitude for something special a decade or more from now? 

Whatever your reason for writing to your future self, it’s helpful to know why you write as you can then identify topics you want to write about. 

Also, decide whether your future self will actually read these letters , and when would you like the future you to read them? Perhaps you want to date each letter to a specific age or date you will reach in the future? 

Try this: On a blank page, with no lines, create a spider-diagram where you start with “why” and branch out to reasons why: to remember , to celebrate , to caution , to ask , to feel less alone, and more. 

2. Pick a Medium to Write the Letter

Believe it or not, but how you write the letter (either on paper or digitally) will have a significant influence on the writing process. 

Digital letters are less personal, but you can add images , voice notes , and videos to make these more interactive. Handwritten letters have personality and show how you were feeling at the time of writing the letter. There’s something deeply personal about writing each letter by hand. 

Try this: Why not have the best of both worlds by writing by hand and then scanning these letters to your computer so you can add images , voice notes, and more?

3. Decide on Contents and Your Future Self Age

For the sake of clarity and to avoid letters that ramble on endlessly, choose a few topics to add to a letter. I try not to write about more than two or three topics per letter to keep things as clear as possible. I may also use creative headings to help split where one topic begins and another ends. 

While topic headings are typical tactics used by content writers for Google, you can borrow a leaf out of their book to keep your letter clear . A list of some topics you can write about includes:

• Events 
• Feelings 
• Friends and enemies 
• Animals or pets
• The news 
• Lessons learned 
• Your health 
• Spirituality 
• Hobbies 
• Relaxation 
• Favorites 
• Decisions you’ve made
• Global issues such as climate change and how you are trying to stop this
• Finances 
• Forgiveness 

4. Keep It Real and Authentic 

Your future self letter shouldn’t be too formal. Try to assume the tone of voice that is normal for a good friend to use. You want your future self to want to read your letter , so keep it interesting and light without seeming to be pretending. 

Your future self needs to believe you , so keep it real . You can also write every morning , like a journal to your future self if that works best for you.

Try this: When you have finished your future self letter, try reading it aloud and noting your body’s reactions to the sound of your voice and the words you speak. If your letter sounds like you are speaking to an audience, it’s not written for your future self. This is an honest and open discussion, not an Oscars speech. 

5. Use Reflective Questions 

The secret to any speech or talk is to establish a connection.  Using reflective questions , words and associations, and real tasks are preserved for your future self to continue your introspection.

Try this: Ask questions like:

• Do you remember when …
• How did you …
• Was it always like this …
• Have you forgotten about …

6. Don’t Forget Gratitude and Compassion

When you cultivate the attitude of gratitude , you create powerful forces in your future , namely positivity and creativity. Gratitude is often reduced to a simple word—“Thanks”—when you really need to practice gratitude daily. 

Letters of gratitude also help remind you of all you have to be thankful for now and in the future. 

Having compassion with your future self is also about having self-compassion, which is something most of us desperately lack. Take the opportunity of your letter to record your understanding of your future self and reflect on why you need to be more kind to yourself. 

Try this: Write down what you do each day to show your gratitude for things that happen in your life. Some of us respond better to visual stimuli , so take a day to photograph all the things , moments, exchanges , and people you are grateful for having in your life.  

7. Future Self Example 

Dear Sara,  Hope you are doing well.  It’s New Year’s Eve, and as I write this letter, the fireworks and rowdy singing of the neighbors echo across the neighborhood. This year, I chose to spend the holidays alone , not traveling to my family for the first time. I wanted time for reflection and to find more inner peace.  I’ve discovered this year that there are too many people in my life who are here simply in a transactional nature , leaching time from me. Do you still find people like that? Have you stuck to the plan I’ve made today to only have people in your (my) life who reciprocate with love and kindness?   My spiritual journey this year has been huge, and I wish I could share it with someone. Are you still on the path of enlightenment , or have you given up and returned to easier roads where you know exactly what to do and what lies ahead? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with returning to your previous beliefs, but I do hope you stayed the course and have really discovered your own inner light. How has your health been? Have the yoga sessions I started this year helped? I really didn’t like feeling so tired and lethargic this year, so I hope you followed through and kept up the stretching. It’s not always easy to keep doing physical exercise when you’re tired, but I know you can do it and succeed in completing the yoga classes.  I have to talk to you about Ben and our relationship. Lately, Ben has been very clingy and needy, and I feel stifled . While I spoke to him about his behavior, he showed little interest in listening or changing. I feel lost, but I know you get me.  Please don’t fall for guys like Ben again. You are so much worthier than what he is like. I know you can find real love  where the other person communicates in your love language, and they show you the respect you are so worthy of.  On the job front, you know the hell I’ve been through the last few years, and I really appreciate all you’ve done to encourage me . Have you found a better job? I am proud of you, regardless of what you’ve chosen. Have you set a few career goals , and how are you planning to reach them?  As always, stay strong, keep your chin up , and eyes bright while fighting your battles each day. 

Final Thoughts on How to Write a Letter to Future Self Example

Before you know it, the future is here . While you may color your hair and botox your face, you are still aging , and you are not the same person you were 20 years ago. The future you , who is reading the letters written by you in the past, will appreciate the learning opportunities and moments for reflection that your letters bring. These letters create a bridge between the past and the future. 

Writing a letter to your future self also reads much easier when you use clear headings or themes to keep some structure in your letter —otherwise you are writing gibberish which nobody can decipher, least of all your future self. 

Sometimes, you need to write a letter of sympathy and empathy to your past self that has suffered greatly to help you feel that you were seen , understood , heard , and “ gotten .” Your own empathy can be the best gift you can give yourself with a future self-letter. When you read this future self letter in 10 or 20 years’ time, you may better understand yourself and the decisions you are making right now. 

To find out more about the power of writing letters , why not read my article writing a letter to your disrespectful daughter ? Happy writing!

Finally, if you don’t know the “right” way to journal, then check out this seven-step process for building a journaling habit that sticks .

Writing a Letter to Your Future Self: Benefits, Guide, and Template

Writing a letter to our future selves is a simple yet profound practice that has the power to transform our lives.

 This act of self-expression serves as a conduit to our innermost thoughts, allowing us to capture our hopes, fears, and desires in a tangible form. By embarking on this journey of self-reflection, we open ourselves up to the possibility of profound personal growth and positive change. In this article, we delve into the remarkable impact of writing a letter to your future self and explore how this practice can shape the trajectory of your life.

3 Reasons to Write a Letter to Your Future Self: Benefits

1. reflection and self-awareness.

Writing a letter to your future self provides a unique opportunity for reflection and self-awareness. By capturing your current thoughts, emotions, and experiences, you gain insight into who you are at this moment in time. This act of self-reflection allows you to understand your desires, fears, and motivations, enabling you to navigate your life with greater clarity and purpose.

2. Goal Setting and Intentions

One of the remarkable benefits of writing a letter to your future self is the ability to set clear goals and intentions. As you pen your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations, you articulate your vision for the future. This goal-setting process helps you identify what truly matters to you and creates a roadmap for achieving your desired outcomes. The act of writing down your goals significantly increases your commitment to them, making you more likely to take the necessary steps to turn them into reality.

3. Personal Growth and Transformation

Revisiting the letter to your future self allows you to witness your personal growth and transformation over time. Months or even years later, as you open the letter, you gain a fresh perspective on your past self. You can celebrate the progress you've made, acknowledge the challenges you've overcome, and recognize the person you've become. This powerful reminder of your resilience and personal evolution serves as motivation to continue growing and striving toward your dreams.

How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Choose a meaningful timeframe.

Select a timeframe for your letter that aligns with your goals. You may opt for a year, five years, or even a decade into the future. Consider both long-term and short-term perspectives to capture different aspects of your life journey.

Find a Quiet and Inspiring Environment

Create a calm and distraction-free space for writing your letter. Find a place that inspires you and allows your thoughts to flow freely. Consider incorporating elements such as soothing music, scented candles, or natural surroundings to enhance your creativity and introspection.

Reflect on Your Current State

Take the time to reflect on your current thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Explore your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth. Use this opportunity to gain clarity about what you want to achieve and the person you want to become.

Set Clear Goals and Intentions

Define specific goals and aspirations in your letter. Be clear about what you want to accomplish and the steps you plan to take to achieve them. Write down your intentions with conviction, and visualize the future you desire.

Express Your Emotions and Dreams

Let your emotions flow onto the paper. Be authentic and vulnerable as you share your hopes, fears, and dreams. Use this letter as a safe space to express yourself fully and honestly.

In the TED video below, Meg Jay shares the essential questions to ask your future self thus enabling your present and future to align so you can start achieving your goals.

Use the ‘GROW’ Template for Writing To Your Future Self

G - Gratitude and Reflection

R - Realizations and Lessons Learned

O - Outlook and Aspirations

W - Wishes and Dreams

Now let's break down each step of the acronym:

G - Gratitude and Reflection:

Express gratitude for the experiences, people, and opportunities that have shaped your life. Reflect on the positive aspects and milestones you have achieved. Acknowledge the blessings and lessons you have received along the way.

R - Realizations and Lessons Learned:

Share the realizations you have had about yourself, others, and the world around you. Reflect on the lessons you have learned from various experiences and challenges. Discuss how these insights have impacted your growth and understanding.

O - Outlook and Aspirations:

Describe your current outlook on life and the future. Share your aspirations and goals for personal and professional development. Discuss the vision you have for yourself and the steps you plan to take to achieve it.

W - Wishes and Dreams:

Articulate your wishes and dreams for the future. Share the things you hope to experience, the places you want to visit, or the achievements you aspire to. Express your deepest desires and the possibilities you envision for yourself.

By following the "GROW" acronym, you can structure your letter to your future self, covering gratitude and reflection, realizations and lessons learned, outlook and aspirations, as well as wishes and dreams. This framework allows you to reflect on your journey, express your aspirations, and inspire your future self.

Revisiting Your Letter

Timing and frequency.

Decide when and how often you will open the letter to your future self. Give yourself enough time to grow and experience life before revisiting it. Some choose to open it on a specific date or milestone, while others prefer to keep it sealed for several years.

Reflection and Assessment

As you read your letter, reflect on the goals and intentions you set. Assess your progress, achievements, and the lessons you have learned along the way. Celebrate your successes and use any setbacks as opportunities for growth and course correction.

Adjusting and Realigning

Based on your newfound insights, make adjustments and realign your path as needed. Goals may change, and priorities may shift over time. Use the letter as a guide to navigate your journey and stay connected to your authentic self.

Writing a letter to your future self is a powerful practice that invites self-reflection, goal-setting, and personal growth. It allows you to capture the essence of who you are today and provides a glimpse into the person you aspire to become. Embrace this transformative journey of self-discovery, and let the act of writing guide you toward a future filled with purpose, fulfillment, and growth. So take some time to sit down and put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and send a message to the person you hope to become.

Related Posts

Get clarity and peace of mind, wherever you are.

QR Code opens app on your phone.

• Depth - AI Journal
• Share a Prompt
• Knowledge Base
• Join Our Beta
• Nominate a Guide
• Self Reflection 101
• Gratitude Journaling
• Benefits of Journaling
• Journaling with a Coach and Therapist
• Shadow Work Journal
• Diary Vs Journal
• Journal Prompts for Anxiety and Depression
• Journal Prompts for Health and Wellness
• Journal Prompts for Creativity
• Journal Prompts for Personal Growth
• Write to Your Future Self
• Decision Journal
• Questions for Transitions
• Journal Questions for Relationships
• Journal Prompts for Confidence

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications

How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Last Updated: May 9, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Celena Hathaway and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophia Latorre . Celena Hathaway is an English & Creative Writing Teacher at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama. She specializes in entry-level creative writing, such as fundamental poetry and fiction short story techniques, and 8th-grade-level grammar and reading. She earned her B.S.E. in Secondary Education and B.A. in English from Samford University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 511,217 times.

No one talks about writer’s block when it comes to writing a letter to yourself, but it can be challenging to clearly convey your message to future you. Whether you’re hoping to achieve specific goals, follow up on bucket list items, or give words of affirmation, your future self will be grateful to receive a letter no matter what. This wikiHow will give you ideas to help structure your letter, possible goals you can set, and language to use to prepare yourself for success. Future you is going to be thriving .

Talking About Who You Are Now

• You may want to choose an age that puts you in different circumstances than you are currently in. If you write the letter as a freshman in high school and read it when you’re in college, you’ll be able to see how much your life has changed and whether or not your goals have been met.

• When talking about your current self in this letter, use “I” language. When talking about your future self in this letter, use “you” language.

• Include information about your church, if you belong to one, or values like accepting everyone’s faith, or lack thereof. Add morals that guide you, such as always being kind, or helping others in need.

Addressing Your Future Self

• Do you enjoy your job?
• What do you do in order to relax?
• Who is the most important person in your life?
• What is your relationship with your parents like? How do they treat you and how do you treat them?
• If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?

Sealing and Storing the Letter

• If you keep a journal, consider writing the letter directly in your journal and marking the page, or writing the letter separately and tucking it in between the pages of your journal.

• You might consider using a digital calendar (like Google Calendars), note-taking software (like Evernote), [11] X Research source or a letter-writing website (like FutureMe). [12] X Research source

Sample Letter and Things to Include and Avoid

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Celena Hathaway .

• ↑ https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors-toolkit/self-awareness/writing-letters
• ↑ https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/diary-journal.html
• ↑ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-letter-to-my-future-sel_b_4522265
• ↑ http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/want-to-improve-your-life-write-yourself-a-letter.html
• ↑ https://medium.com/personal-growth/join-me-and-write-a-letter-to-your-future-self-514fa62c0beb
• ↑ https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2014/07/24/evernote-reminders-writing-letter-future-self/
• ↑ https://www.futureme.org/

About This Article

Writing a letter to your future self can be a great way to look back on how your life has changed and find out if you're achieving the goals you set for yourself. To do this, first choose the age you want to be when you read it, which will help you decide on realistic goals. When you begin your letter, summarize who you currently are by including recent achievements and interests. After you’ve introduced yourself, write down your hopes or goals, like getting into a good college or starting a family. Once you’ve written out your goals, ask some questions to help your future self reflect on their life. For example, you could ask, “Do you like your job?” or “What do you do to relax?”. Throughout your letter, use “I” when you’re writing about yourself now and “you” when referring to your future self so you can easily tell the difference between them. For tips on where to hide your letter, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Sep 23, 2018

Did this article help you?

Kaitlyn D'souza

Jan 13, 2018

Winter Rich

Nov 9, 2021

Jeff Stidnary

Dec 6, 2017

Yoshi Skinner

Dec 9, 2017

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

Write a letter to your future self

Write . Pick a receiving date. Send . Verify. That’s it 😊 Your letter is safe with us - we’ve sent over 20 million letters in 20 years!

You will receive a confirmation email - please make sure your email address is correct! By writing a letter and signing up for FutureMe you agree to the Terms of use

FutureMe letters are great for…

• ❤️ Reliving memories in vivid detail
• 📈 Acknowledging growth & achievements
• ✅ Setting goals for the future
• 😌 Decluttering your mind to find some headspace

Download our Official Mobile App

Never leave the life of your letter at the mercy of an overcrowded inbox ever again.

With our new app, all you have to do is login to your account to view a list of letters you’ve sent, and your collection of letters you have already received to date!

Are you a manager, business owner, team leader, or education worker?

Need some inspiration ?

Goal-setting

How writing down your goals literally helps you achieve them

Set yourself up for success by writing the way ahead.

Read article

Mindfulness

Why should I write a letter to my future self?

Writing a letter to yourself can be helpful, insightful and completely uplifting.

Writing letters to the future

How to write a letter to yourself: Capture a memory

Not sure how to write a letter to yourself? Read on to find out how you can capture a memory to send to the future.

How to write a letter to yourself: The gratitude list

Gratitude rhymes with attitude, and it is the attitude we apply to our lives that help us celebrate the present and be truly happy.

Future Letter Ideas!

Hi there! Writing a letter to the future can be a powerful experience. And receiving a surprise letter from the past can be an even more powerful experience. Check out the testimonials all of the people who agree! .

• To your next birthday (obviously!)
• To a date by which you predict we are "back to normal" and recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. What did we learn?
• Uma data que você atingiu um objetivo importante (Se formou? Se casou? Aposentou!)
• Write a story in present tense about your life in 5 years ("You are sipping coffee in your new home...") and paint a picture of your future self's day.
• To yourself, when you will be your parents age.
• To your kids, when they will be your age. Or to the age when you think you will have kids.
• To your spouse/partner, on your 10th (20th? 50th?) anniversary (you must create an account first to write to someone else!)
• To the year 2030, when the IPCC says we must hit Greenhouse Gas Reduction goals to keep Global Warming below 1.5 degrees celsius.
• To yourself, while you're on your next vacation.
• ...Or...while on vacation, to yourself when you've back "to the grind."

FutureMe uses cookies.

Learn how we use cookies to improve your experience by reviewing our Terms of Service

• Legacy Projects

How to Write a Meaningful Letter to Your Future Self

Updated 08/18/2022

Published 03/31/2020

Yvonne Bertovich

Contributing writer

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

Sometimes clarity comes when we least expect it. If you’re hoping to gain a better understanding of some aspect of your life, or you’d like to create an opportunity for your future self to reflect, a personal letter is a great way to do so. 

Writing a letter to yourself might also prompt you to think ahead about your end-of-life plans, from continuing your legacy with a platform like GatheringUs  to making sure your assets are taken care of with an online will maker like  Trust & Will .

Jump ahead to these sections:

Step 1: have a purpose (or don’t), step 2: attempt some discipline or focus, step 3: set the mood, step 4: decide a delivery or open date, step 5: write it out, step 6: put it in a safe place, examples of letters to your future self.

The best part about a personal letter is that you don’t have to worry about all of the typical conventions that come along with more formal letter writing, such as professional thank you letters . You have the power and freedom to practice total honesty, which, after you’re done, will likely feel quite liberating.

If you’re still feeling tentative or unsure about writing this letter, we compiled the following guide. However, you can take all of the following steps as a suggestion. You don’t have to follow any of them. Sometimes there is a lot of wisdom to be found in recklessly letting loose on a piece of paper, especially if you’re going through an emotional time—either a high-high, or a low-low. 

Maybe this is the very first time you’ve ever written a formal (or informal) letter to yourself. You shouldn’t feel silly for wanting to do so. You never know what you’ll gain from anything if you don’t try, and you don’t have anything to lose. 

Unlike other types of writing, such as writing a commemorative speech , a letter to yourself can be fairly casual. You can speak in a language and even codes that only you understand. Letters to yourself also differ from speeches or eulogies , too, in that your purpose is unique to you. 

Feel free to ask yourself the following questions to help the process along:

• Are you writing about a specific topic, or do you just need to vent?
• Would you prefer to handwrite your letter or type it?
• Are you placing a time limit on when your letter is complete, or do you plan to add to it?
• What key points do you want to be able to reflect on?
• Where do you hope to be when you open it (physically, emotionally, spiritually)?

If you’re sitting down, or pacing the room and occasionally stopping to scribble or type something, you’re obviously trying to complete this letter with some intention. You owe it to your future self to collect your thoughts and ideas in a somewhat coherent way so that they can be of value later.

That being said, you shouldn’t be tempted to “hold back” in this letter. If all goes as planned, after all, you’re the only one who’s going to be reading it anyway. Why would you give yourself nothing but the ugly truth? 

Perhaps you’re struggling with a particular aspect of your life right now more than others. Or, maybe it’s a recurring set of thoughts you’re trying to move past. On the other hand, maybe you’re doing amazing, and you’re worried it’s all gonna fizzle out.

These aren’t irrational feelings, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about them. You’re already beginning your winning streak by taking some real action. 

Though hammering away at your keyboard at 1 am may seem like the most vulnerable time to write a letter — perhaps as a way to tire yourself out — it may not be the best time. You’d likely benefit more if you do yourself a service and create a safe, inspiring, and comfortable environment to draft your letter. 

How can you accomplish the right mood to write a letter to yourself?

• Choose a familiar room or outdoor location: You may simply pick your desk at home, a favorite reading nook, or perhaps a park you love to go to.
• Make sure your chair or sitting area is comfortable: In all honesty, being sprawled out on the floor works fine, too. However, you owe it to your back and the quality of the letter to pick a good spot.
• Play some music to fit your mood: If you’re in the mood to listen to sad music, songs about living life to the fullest , or music that’s so horrible it’s good — it doesn’t matter which you choose, just as long as you vibe with it.
• Have a drink (or two): There’s no hiding that some of us are more productive with good caffeine, or perhaps you’d rather unwind with your favorite wine. Consider keeping a glass of water as an alternate, too. 
• Give yourself some time: Don’t try to cram this letter writing into a 15-minute window before you need to go to work. Well, you could, if you’re feeling compelled, but you likely won’t get as much out of this exercise as you possibly could. 

The “delivery” or open date of your letter is fairly significant. Setting a specific date may seem odd. What if you’re not ready to read it then? What if you won’t feel any different by that time? This is where you have to have some trust in your path. Whatever you’re upset — or absolutely loving — about life right now may not be permanent. 

It will take hard work to either gain or maintain everything you have going for you right now. If you don’t want to set a firm date, instead, you can set a time limit.

For example, you can open your letter after your graduation, after the new year, after you land your next job, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a date so much as it has to be a feeling and a preparedness. You may also choose to write a letter to yourself to help you better remember a family member . 

We’ll let you in on a secret: your first draft doesn’t have to be your final. However, it may benefit you to have just one draft. Why? Your thoughts — if even scattered or grammatically incorrect — will be the most raw and vulnerable in the first draft. If after you seal up the letter you think of the perfect way to phrase something or have some other epiphany — that’s great. 

Jot it down somewhere else. And, perhaps the letter is already doing its job — teaching you something about yourself, your circumstances, or your outlook. 

When it comes to storing your letter for safe-keeping, treat it like a prized possession or a family heirloom . Do your best not to lose it.

For your letter to truly become impactful later or even fall flat, it will make you feel what it’s supposed to if you seal it for good till your designated open date. You owe it to your original feelings to let them be as they were in the moment. 

Let the letter marinate alone. Don’t disturb it. Perhaps, after reading it, you’ll have so much clarity about a certain situation that you thought you’d never have while you were drafting. If all you do after finally reading your letter is scoff to yourself a bit, that’s OK. Growth is good. Maturity is good. 

To give you some inspiration or a jumping-off point, we provided some example letters you can draft to your future self below. Again, take this exercise as lightly or as seriously as you’d like. An important thing to remember, too, is to date the letter after you’re done writing it.  

Example one

I know everything seems like the absolute worst right now, and maybe it is. Maybe this is the worst that it’ll be for a long, long time. Or, maybe it’s not. Maybe it’ll get worse than this. We can’t really know until we live it, and we will get through it. 

I hope you’re remembering what’s important. I hope you’re telling people you love them. I hope you’re going out of your way to make people feel good even when you don’t. I hope you’re giving yourself some slack. 

The thing is, kid, we can’t really know what’s in the future till we get there. I’m not gonna lie. We were really worried right now. Worried for our well-being. Worried what we’d have in a few weeks or a few months or worried about what we’d lose in that time, too. But now, as you’re reading this, I hope you take stock. I hope you’re damn grateful for what we do have, and don’t take it for granted. 

You did it, kid. You made it.

Big Love, [You on insert date and time].” 

Example two

“Hey lovely!

You are lovely, remember this. You’re currently listening to a throwback jam, Forever by Chris Brown. It made you smile not so much because of Chris Brown’s questionable character, but because it’s in the infamous scene in The Office that you love so much. You’ve come so far in the past year. You can’t give up now. I can’t wait to see where we are in a few months.

If you’re still feeling anxious, or like things aren’t what you thought they’d be, think of yourself this time last year. You were even more worn out and restless. It’s highly unlikely you’re there again. And, if you are, you know how to get out of it. Even if you don’t have some master plan yet, you know what you have to do to get there.

Just take it one day at a time, and make the most of each one. You know that not every day is guaranteed, so try to remember the moments and experiences that have made you laugh, cry, stress, get angry — whatever. It’s not all for nothing. Just look at where you are now. 

Try to be proud of yourself, you’re doing it!

Love yourself, [You on insert date and time].”

Example three

“Hi [insert name],

It’s Monday morning. Your week is off to an OK start. But, somehow, you feel really stuck. You’re full of questions about where you stand with the people you think are closest to you. You’re full of questions about your job. You’re still having feelings of doubt about your abilities — everything. You’re wondering what the next big thing is. You’re worried it will be a big bad thing. 

I can’t tell you how it’ll all play out. I can’t promise your heart won’t be broken or that you’ll feel better about everything by the time you read this. What I can promise you, however, is that you need to keep sticking to your values. Don’t lose them and hope for a quick fix for all of your problems. Remember, you play the long game. Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t ever forget who you are or be ashamed of it for longer than a second. 

You keep kicking butt, OK?

All the love, [You on insert date and time].”

If you want more examples on how to write about you, read our guide on how to write about yourself .

Your Thoughts Matter Now, and They’ll Matter Then

Sometimes the little things in our lives set us off, till we realize there’s something a lot bigger at work. What writing a letter to your future self can offer you, above all else, is perspective. It doesn’t mean that when you draft your letter you’re not right to be upset about the things you’re upset about. Your feelings are valid. But, in all honesty, you’ll likely realize that certain feelings and frames of mind may not serve your best interests for very long.

Hold onto what serves you best. Let go of what doesn’t. Celebrate everything you go through, no matter how hard it is. And, if nothing else, be grateful that you’re still there to be reading that letter when the day comes.  For more resources about end-of-life planning as well as ideas for birthday resolutions , check out the rest of Cake . 

Categories:

You may also like.

9 Tips for Dealing With Family Dysfunction After a Death

How to Write a Legacy Letter From the Heart: Step-By-Step

How to Write an ‘Open When You’re Lonely’ Letter Ideas & Examples

7 ‘Open When You Need Motivation’ Letter Ideas

• How (and Why) to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Writing a letter to your future self is one of my most memorable bucket list checks. It was like creating a time capsule of my thoughts, dreams, and the incredible journey you’re on. Are you ready to write your own?

You can fill it with facts of where your life is in the present moment and will hopes for the future. Just think about how powerful it might be when you read this “dear future me letter”. It could be a reminder of who you were versus who you wanted to be. It would be a little kick in the butt to make sure that you are heading in that direction and in order to limit life’s biggest regrets . It can bring much value to your life—I know it did for myself. And that’s why it is a great bucket list idea .

Why is Writing a Letter to Your Future Self a Good Idea?

• Reality check. As we live, we tend to forget about many decisions, promises, and other valuable things. Sometimes we make mistakes which we don’t want to repeat, but eventually, forget about them and step on the same rake. This letter will be a reality, helping you to raise some thought provoking questions and see if you are moving in the right direction.
• Self-reflection.  Many prominent and successful people have a journal where they engaged in self-reflection, and change their lives. You can follow that example and you’ll be able to get yourself on a new personal level.
• Time-machine. Your diaries/letters are like time-machines. Years pass, and the moment you read them, you immerse into that past reality. You are suddenly that young, less mature, happy, silly, and very real past YOU. And you will see how much you have changed since that time. Whether it makes you laugh or cry, it will definitely be a precious experience.
• Reminder. A letter to yourself is remind yourself of something really important and valuable. Life can be hectic a lot of the times. And the most meaningful things and dreams to people might slip out of our minds—being pushed to the back burner. This letter will help you remember what is important to you.

How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

First things first, find a cozy spot, grab a cup of your favorite brew (tea, coffee, or maybe something a bit fancier), and let’s get those creative juices flowing. Then follow these steps for inspiration:

Ask Yourself Some Questions

Your letter can include answers to some of life’s most thought provoking questions , like these:

• What lessons have I learned up until this point? Life will definitely have given you some precious knowledge… help yourself verbalize it.
• What goals have I achieved? Who helped me on the way? How did I thank them? Sometimes we are so committed to achieving the next goal that we forget to both enjoy your victories and thank those people who helped you reach the pinnacle. Gratitude and joy are extremely important.
• Am I happy? Perhaps, one of the most important questions. We all want to be happy and sometimes we forget to stop for a second and enjoy it. Enjoy our healthy body, enjoy our partner, enjoy our kids, enjoy this beautiful morning, and a cup of orange juice and here are 100 other things to be thankful for .
• What is important to me? This question will make you redefine your values. Important things might change over time, so it is a useful idea to reflect on this.
• Am I living this life true to MYSELF? If you try to meet everyone else’s expectations, you might be drifting far away from yours.
• Am I spending enough time on things that matter? This question will help you see if you pay enough attention to the essential things in your life. You’ll see if the constant flow of events didn’t carry you away.
• Do I take enough care of my health and myself? Some people treat their bodies just like containers to transport their minds without realizing that your body is like a vehicle. If you knew that you are going to have this car for the rest of your life, how would you treat it?

If these questions are not enough to get your letter writing juices flowing, then read this article: hard questions to ask yourself .

Share Your Current Beliefs

Tell your future self about your principles and beliefs in such areas of life as:

• Family. If someone in your family made some mistake you want to avoid, tell your future self about it. You wanted your dad to work less and spend more time with you? Then, tell your future self to prioritize family time.
• Friends. Describe your friends and why you are close to these people. Write about some funny situations or about some precious moments, when this person really helped you.
• Health. Tell your future self about how you maintain your health. Give yourself some reminders about the way of life and lifestyle habits you should be sticking to.
• Relationships. What’s important in your relationship? What type of partner are you attracted to? What traits of character do you want to see in your future partner?
• Career. Share your career goals and plans. Tell yourself about what you are currently doing for work and what your ambitions are. After this, you might want to analyze this passage now and create a step-by-step plan on how to actually reach those goals.
• Spirituality. What are your spiritual principles? What do you believe in? How do you support your spiritual practice? In hard times, this is our communication with God that actually helps us out. So, remind yourself of your values and principles.
• Finance & Money. Share with your future self some beliefs about money and your current financial situation.

Define Things You Want in the Future

This is the most important part of your letter, which will help you process your life experience and become a better version of yourself.

• What should I remember?
• What are my goals for the future?
• What habits should I start to be healthier?
• What relationships need more attention and what ones need to be dissolved?
• What should I exclude from my life? What should I add to my life.

It’s perfectly okay to type your letter or use a simple piece of white paper, but to make it a little more special you can also buy a pretty paper and envelope set ( like this one ) or a beautiful leather journal .

Store Your Letter With a Future Open Date

Store your letter in a way that you will not be tempted to read it before its time, but also in a way that it will not be forgotten. The best way is to put it into a sealed envelope with the open date boldly marked on it. Then, you can set a reminder on the calendar of the exact date you want to open it (and the location where you hid it!).

How long should you wait to open your letter? That depends on you. I recommend at least one year, but five would be even better. You could also make a plan to write a new letter every five years.

Letter to Myself Example

On my 40th birthday I wrote a very special letter to my future self, and here it is:

Dear Future Self,

Today is your 40th birthday and as you look back you realize that you have had many fortunate experiences and time appears to have flown by. But, looking forward you are filled with hope, dreams and excitement. The one thing you wish is that what you know now you knew when you were 20. To myself, I write this letter to the future me.

What You Know Now:

You now realize that in your 20’s you thought that your career defined you, but now it enhances your life. Though you have worked for fabulous companies, you know that your heart lies in being your own boss and hope to continue down that path for the rest of your life. You definitely feel that the restaurant business is a passion, but you have many others and dream of becoming a writer of “bucket list” books, creating cork art to sell and otherwise having a career that allows you the freedom to travel.

In earlier life your main concentration was on “becoming a millionaire” and now you just want to simplify. You understand that you can only wear so many clothes, friends don’t really care what kind of car you drive and huge diamond rings don’t equal true love. You still have the desire to have money, but you would like to spend it on creating experiences instead of accumulating material items.

RELATIONSHIPS & MARRIAGE

You have been married for 12 years and the dynamic of the relationship has changed dramatically since year one. You were once obsessed about knowing the security of the future and now know that things happen and no matter what you will be okay. You know that acceptance of your partner is so important and you have been successful at that. You realize that marriage is not always roses & butterflies, but nothing is and you are willing to work at making it better. With that said, you believe that relationships should mostly be roses & butterflies or else it’s not worth sacrificing your happiness. You truly love your husband, but still struggle with “unconditional” love and need to continuously strive to make sure he feels it .

You have spent many years searching for your passion, hoping that there was that one thing you would be excellent at. You now know that the search is your passion and within this search are the times you feel most alive. You have now dedicated much of your life to experiencing new things and truly feel that is your permanent infatuation.

LIFE ENHANCEMENT

In this letter to my future self I want to emphasis how the power of being present has changed your life. Having the ability to not think about the past or worry about the future has been a long, challenging path and is still a work in progress. But, you have realized that it is a huge key to happiness. Also, you spent much time challenging your negative thoughts, pointing out the positive every time you had one. It has proven to be successful in the process of being joyful. Another important thing you feel is that, in most cases, honesty truly is the best policy. It has not failed you. You now feel that happiness is a choice and you try to choose it whenever you can! You have also realized that the one person that has to take care of you is you!

You have accepted the faults of your family with love, though these faults still emotionally affect you more than you wish. You take comfort in the fact that you know your mother would take her own life for you, but hope that she will realize that her healthy lifestyle means more to you than anything. You have almost stopped fantasizing about having the father figure you see in the movies, though you still long to have a stronger relationship with him. You have effectively cut out the communication with family members that do not enhance your life and don’t feel guilty.

STYLE & AGING

For the most part, you feel pretty. Pretty in a way that lacks the insecurities or conceit of when you were younger. You can see the effects of aging, but do not compare yourself to younger versions. On most days, you feel that you look good for your age and your goal is to have that feeling at every age. You still love stylish clothing (at a discount!) and dressing nice gives your self esteem a boost. Brand names still do not impress you, you don’t understand the purpose of paying 4 times as much for designer jeans, but definitely would if it made your butt look fabulous! Aging or dying does not particularly scare you, what frightens you is that you will not be able to experience all the things you want to.

In the past couple of years you have been caught thinking, “I love life” and you hope to feel this for many years to come.

Love & Respect,

Hey, you know that awesome feeling when you write a letter to your future self? It’s like chatting with your BFF across time! Pouring out your heart, sharing dreams, and sprinkling some serious wisdom, is a true love letter to your future self. So, grab that pen, spill your guts, and get ready for the most epic conversation with the fabulous person you’re destined to become.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my links, I earn a commission that helps to keep this blog running—at no extra cost to you. For more information read my full disclosure .

More wellness ideas.

• 75 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas: Examples of Nice Things to Do
• Being Grateful: 250 Things to Be Thankful For Today
• 60 Best Inspirational Songs & Motivational Music
• 225 Daily Positive Affirmations for Women

2 thoughts on “How (and Why) to Write a Letter to Your Future Self”

Annete, this is Nice! Thanks for share the way you see yourself with others. Greice

You should totally do this! It was one of the best things I ever did.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Hey Bucket Listers! I'm Annette .

I’m a goal obsessed mid-lifer, traveler, experience collector, fear crusher, digital marketer and author with big bucket list dreams. Let's Connect!

Want Inspo To Your Inbox?

I’m giving you practical tips, exclusive tools and the inspiration to stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.

Whatcha Looking for?

Home About Blog The Shop Partnerships Contact

Bucket list ideas travel facing fear & anxiety.

Writing a Letter To Your Future Self

• by Celes     |    
• Filed in Self-Improvement

(Image: Agnes Kantaruk )

Have you written a letter to your future self before? Back in the early 2010s, I came across the Yahoo! Time Capsule, where users could contribute to a digital legacy of how life was in 2006, which would be opened at a later date. I then came up with the idea of writing a letter to your future self, where you write a personal note to your future self, seal it, and then open it at a future date. There are no restrictions on how far you should project into the future — you can write to your future self 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, or even 10 years from now!

Why Write a Letter To Your Future Self?

Doing this exercise can be a very powerful experience.

Imagine writing to your future self 5 years from now — what would you say to him/her? What kind of person would you be? What goals would you want to have achieved? Writing the letter gets you thinking about your goals 5 years from now. As you write your letter, you start to think about the actions you should take now to achieve your goals by then.

When you read your letter 5 years into the future, you can assess (a) whether this vision you wrote before matches who you are today, and (b) how much of it has been achieved. Often times, our life plans are subjected to many changes due to unexpected obstacles, unanticipated circumstances, and changing life priorities. Your letter lets you take a step back and identify the things you need to continue or do differently to move forward.

In addition, when you write your letter, your consciousness and thoughts are stored in your words. When you read it, it’s like you are being contacted by the old you. It gives you a different insight into yourself and lets you see how much you have changed since then. :)

How To Write Your Letter

While you can write to your future self from any time period, I recommend to start with a one year time frame. This way, it’s easier to envision your goals, and it also gives you a comfortable time frame to take action.

(If you like, you can write two letters, one to the future you a year later and another to the future you three or five years later.)

Refer to today’s date.

• What do you want to be one year from now?
• What are the goals and dreams you want realized by then?
• What is your desired status for the areas on your  life wheel ? Career/Business/Studies? Money/Wealth? Family? Friends? Love? Health? Spirituality? Recreation? Contribution? Self-Image?
• Once you’re done, sign off with your name and today’s date.
• Put the papers in an envelope. Seal it.
• On the cover, write “To [Your Name]. To be opened on [Date].” Replace “[Your Name]” with your name, with “[Date]” the date that’s one year from now.
• Set an appointment in your calendar to open your letter one year from now.
• Put this envelope in a safe place where no one can access it.
• In this one year, work hard on your goals and vision! Then open and read your letter one year from today. :)

For your letter format, you can either write a physical letter or type it. I used to write my letters using pen and paper, but I’ve since switched to typing and printing the final copy (this way I have a backup if anything happens).

You can use  FutureMe.org , a service that helps you send your message to your desired email address at any point in the future. Personally I recommend to write your letter on your computer and store it, rather than using such a service. With an external service, you never know who has access to your letters, and your letter will be gone if the service gets shut down.

Opening My Letter From My Past Self

Back in 2008, on February 2010, I wrote two letters to my future selves. The first letter was to my future self one year later, on February 10, 2009. The second letter was to my future self 5 years later, on February 10, 2013.

So a year later on February 10, 2009, I opened my first letter and read in excitement . It was interesting seeing what I was like a year ago and how much I have changed. There were some things that I accurately foresaw, and many things I didn’t anticipate.

In terms of goals, I had achieved several goals. For Career, I leapt ahead of my predictions — in my letter, I wrote that I would still be working in my ex-company while working on my purpose on the side, and quit my job a few years later. As it turned out, I had already quit my job and started working on my purpose full time! :) In terms of Health, I had reached my desired weight/look, something I was really proud of as losing weight was something I had struggled with for years.

There were some goals I had not reached yet. For example for Love, I thought that I would have found my relationship partner by then, but I had not. This wasn’t an issue as I came to the realization that  we are already perfect as singles  (I would later meet my husband in 2013). In terms of Friendship, some friends whom I thought I would still be on great terms with had slipped away. Instead, I formed great friendships with other people in the past year. In a way, it’s a natural equilibrium — when you let go of certain connections, new connections will take their place.

There were goals that I didn’t reach as I abandoned them halfway because they lost meaning to me. For example, buying a car. When I received a pay rise the previous year and was able to consider getting a car, I realized that owning a car in Singapore, where public transport is readily available, does not resonate with my highest self. My original intent of getting a car was more for image reasons — growing up, we were often told that having a car was a symbol of success. That desire had long been shed, along with my old self. Not to mention, having a car isn’t exactly environmentally friendly.

On the same note, I had changed in the past year in terms of my materialistic tendencies. While I was not a materialistic person when I wrote my letter in 2008 (I was 23), I became less materialistic since, given my revelations on material wealth and goods . My consciousness was also higher as I had been working a lot on my growth.

All in all, reading my letter made me realize several things. It made me more conscious of how I have changed vs. the past (vs. just relying on memory). It reminded me of some of my past visions that I lost track of along the way. It made me appreciate how far I have come and look forward to the future.

Subsequently, I opened my 5-year letter and share my results here: Writing a Letter to Your Future Self [Video]

Write Your Letter To Your Future Self

Grab your pen and paper now and start writing your letter to your future self! Identify a time period to write to, imagine what you would be like, and then start writing! Think about the kind of person you would like to be, what you would want to be doing, what you would have accomplished by then, and what you want to say to yourself.

Follow the steps in the exercise above. Get working on your goals, then open your letter with pride a year from now! :)

Update Aug 2014 : I created a video tutorial on writing a letter to your future self, where I share more tips plus open my 5-year letter to myself. Watch: Writing a Letter to Your Future Self [Video]

For those of you with  Live a Better Life in 30 Days , the task for Day 29 is to write a letter to your future self.

Hi, I’m Celes. Thanks for reading. Personal Excellence is where I write about how to live our best life as we tackle life’s challenges.  About Me »

• How To Deal With Disillusionment
• How To Deal With Uncertainty
• How To Overcome Anger
• How To Say No To Others
• How To Tackle Naysayers
• How To Stop Analysis Paralysis
• How To Deal With Critical People
• How To Handle Negative Criticism
• How To Give Constructive Criticism
• How To Deal With Unsupportive Friends & Family
• How To Improve Your Relationship With Your Parents
• How To Find Your Life Purpose
• How To Find Purpose After a Hard Fall in Life
• How To Move On From a Heartbreak
• How To Find Your Soulmate
• How To Stop Procrastinating
• How To Make Life’s Hardest Decisions
• How To Stay Focused & Not Get Distracted
• 101 Ways To Live Your Best Life
• 101 Ways To Be a Better Person
• 101 Things To Do Before You Die
• 101 Questions To Ask Yourself

How I Began to Love My Body, Part 3: Overcoming My Body Hate

How To Stop Analysis Paralysis: 8 Important Tips

How To Be Patient: The Only Guide I’ll Ever Write on Becoming Patient

7 Tips To Overcome Impostor Syndrome

7 Limiting Beliefs Keeping You from Living Your Best Life

How To Meditate in 5 Simple Steps

Copyright 2024 © Personal Excellence  |   Terms of Use   |   Privacy

Practical tips to tackle life’s challenges. Join my email list.

Example Letter to My Future Self (With Structure Suggestions)

This example letter to my future self puts into practice the many tips and best practices that help you get the most of out the exercise.

This example of a letter to your future self is based on what I wrote this year for Future Chris to read a year from now.

I’m sharing it so you can see how I put into practice the extensive tips and suggestions I’ve covered in other posts. To make the structure clear, I’ve broken it up with headings. They aren’t actually part of the letter.

I’ve also changed some details and replaced chunks with “ [blah, blah, blah] ” for brevity and privacy.

Jan 6, 2022

How’s it going? It’s me, your younger, hopefully less wise, less wealthy, and less actualized self here.

• Start off with the present.

Where are you, and what’s going on in your life?

I’m writing you while drinking an americano in Origin Coffee in Cape Town. Kim’s across from me because we just dropped off our rental car from our trip to Plett.

The trip was s-Plett-tacular! Memorable moments were [blah, blah, blah].

Also, the trip was a timely reminder of how awesome it would be to live right on the beach. Let’s make that happen one day.

The driving was also a reminder of how much more of a hassle it is with a baby. Man, I hope Zac’s learned to like his car seat more by the time you read this. But, even if not, I hope it hasn’t slowed you down from going on trips and adventures.

Anyway, I just finished recapping last year and reading the letter I wrote to myself on the Orange River on Dec 30, 2020. You might want to read it, too. I was blown away by how much of what I had written then I had forgotten. For example [blah, blah, blah] .

Goes to show how bad our memories and perceptions of our past selves are. These letters help me remember that.

What has you worried, frustrated, and excited?

Reading the letter and recapping the year was a wake-up call.

I feel I’ve gotten too complacent with the blog. And as fun as it’s been to make videos and write Consider This , their growth fell below predictions. Way below. Also, [blah, blah, blah] .

But the biggest surprise from the letter from my past self?

Many of the things I’d planned to write to you to focus on in 2022, my past self wrote to me to get done in 2021! I’ve been passing the buck rather than building momentum. No bueno.

Let’s change that this coming year.

On the bright side, I think I’ve finally—FINALLY—started to get a grasp of the branding and vision for the blog. My plan now is “go full unconventional” and [blah blah blah] .

Outside of “work,” life’s pretty sweet.

Zac’s just started crawling, mimicking us, and even standing. He makes lots of noise and loves to roughhouse. And he often crawls over to me when I come home to play with me! It’s like having a dog at this point… but way cooler because [blah, blah, blah] .

As fun as raising Zac is, it’s been a blessing to have Irene come look after him a few days a week, and the odd night, so Kim and I can go on date nights. (Remember our attempt at a date night with Zac at Zest? Disaster. Chaos. Haha.)

My relationship with Kim is going as well as could be expected. Aside from a few debates on food and eczema treatment, we’ve been a cohesive team. And I’m encouraged that she’s going to make huge progress professionally in the year to come because [blah, blah, blah] .

Financially, I made [x] last year and my portfolio’s gone from [y] to [z]. Below expectations of [a, b, and c] from last year, but not disastrous. The problem is, expenses picked up from [x] to [y]. This has me worried. I’m struggling to figure out fun, sustainable, and beneficial-to-others ways to monetize. $15k per month, I feel, would be enough for us to do whatever we want comfortably.

Maybe it’s worth considering a completely different business that’s less fun and spiritually rewarding but more financially lucrative? (So basically anything…) Some ideas are [blah, blah, blah] .

What’s going on in the world at large?

Or maybe there’s some way to get involved in all this web3 brouhaha? A creator coin or something? Probably not, though. I feel like it’s a lot of hype pumped up by people who make money from the attention. A lot of hype. All this crypto, NFT, DAO, stuff was one of the top stories in my bubble of the world this year.

Inflation, too, like we predicted.

And, of course, COVID. So many people we know got it in December, but somehow not Kim, Zac, or I. [blah, blah, blah] .

Climate change seems to be moving more and more to the center of the general public’s radar. Hard to avoid with crazy weather like the heatwave in Vancouver in June. Remember that? Camping out at the park by the beach all day to avoid overheating at home, then retreating to Kim’s parents’? Wild.

I predict (hope) that pretty soon a lot of the hype (and $$$) directed towards mostly meaningless NFT-esque crap goes toward greener technology. Maybe not in a year, but soon.

• Look back before looking forward.

Before getting into more predictions, here’s a recap of some of what’s changed between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of this past year:

• Investment portfolio performance: [blah, blah, blah] (Big lesson: Trust your gut more. Every time you delayed or didn’t act, it cost you. Examples are [blah, blah, blah] .)
• Blog traffic, subscribers, stats, income: [blah, blah, blah] .
• Favorite things I’ve learned and mind changes I’ve made: [blah, blah, blah] .
• Most memorable moments: [blah, blah, blah] .
• Other big changes in my life and the life of those around me: [blah, blah, blah].

As you can see, for the first time, I spent a lot of time recapping 2021. It was worth it. You ought to do the same for 2022.

• Brainstorm and ask for help.

One more big mind shift I made in 2021 came from reading books like Designing Your Life , Dedicated , and Four Thousand Weeks . I’ve come to conclude we ought to commit one way or another and move on with it rather than overthink things or keep our options open.

But I’m still unsure about what to commit to.

These are the big questions I’m thinking a lot about:

• Have another kid or not? Before having Zac, [blah, blah, blah] .
• Try new ways to make more money with the blog, or redirect that time to more efficient but perhaps less rewarding and fun money-making endeavors? My thinking now is [blah, blah, blah] .
• Change the name of the blog? I was strongly leaning toward changing it to something “Fresh” related, but recent conversations have me swinging the other way. [blah, blah, blah] .
• Where to live? Cape Town’s awesome, but far from family and old friends in Vancouver. Should we look harder at a beach town in Mexico or Costa Rica? I was thinking [blah, blah, blah] .
• Should I hire a coach? No doubt the right coach at not too ridiculous of a price could be the best investment I could make, but how do you find that? Or I? The curse of being so independently-minded is it’s hard to find someone we’ll listen to. My plan now is to [blah, blah, blah] .
• Should I start something new—new hobby, friends, language, business, podcast—or go deeper on the things I already love doing?

What do you think? Or what new questions have jumped to the forefront for you?

• Make a bunch of predictions.

Anyway, enough with the stress-inducing tough questions. Time for some fun stuff:

Predictions!

Make predictions about your future life.

I bet you’ll be in Cape Town again, reading this. You’ll probably be sitting on a patio overlooking the sea because I learned this year just how much that’s worth to us.

Differences between you and me I predict:

• You’ll have a few more grey hairs, but still not visible. Same amount of head hair. Maybe a bit more facial hair. Almost enough to finally have a beard.
• In the same shape, if not slightly better. More mobile, for sure, cuz you’ll have kept up with your daily mobility and maybe even hired someone in Vancouver.
• You’ll finally be decently good at beach volleyball. The solo practice at Virgin will pay off.
• You’ll have 2-3 new little daily habits that you’ll have incorporated into your life thanks to various experiments and 30-day challenges throughout the year.
• You’ll have some idea about a book you want to write.
• You’ll be spending less time making YouTube videos. Maybe considering a podcast?

Memorable moments:

• Zac will say his first word in March and it’ll be something to do with food, like “baba” to mean bottle.
• Zac will take his first step by the end of Feb.
• Zac will have 8 teeth.
• We’ll have gone on one big road trip to the US over the summer and I’ll have done another escape to nature, leaving Zac and Kim behind.
• We won’t visit any new countries.
• [blah, blah, blah]

Make measurable predictions.

• My net worth will be around [x] .
• The blog will have made [x] and I’ll have dipped my toes into something new but not dove into it yet.
• Traffic, Consider This subscribers, YouTube subscribers will be [x, y, z] .
• Zac will weigh 26 pounds, so slightly above average, but not a ton.
• I will only read 20 new books this year because I’ll re-read and review many from the past.
• [x] will be in a serious relationship. [y] will still be single.
• [x] will be engaged. Maybe even married.
• [x] will be separated or divorced.

Make wild card predictions.

• The Nets will win the NBA title. The Raptors will lose in the first round. MVP will be… it’s a crapshoot… KD?
• The Super Bowl… I really can’t even bother guessing because I gave up the NFL this year!
• The stock market’s going to be down for the year, adjusted for inflation.
• Bitcoin will be roughly the same as today, $45k US.
• More advances in preventing and treating COVID will mean no more masks indoors by June in Vancouver.
• The hype about web3, the metaverse, NFTs, and all that will have died down substantially. Or I’ll have completely escaped from hearing about it, because it doesn’t make much difference to my day-to-day life.
• South Africa, Cape Town especially, is going to be crazy with tourism in December. With more digital nomads, too. Pent-up demand and good PR are going to give it the hype it deserves.

End with the most important message you want to send.

Ok. My hand’s getting tired from all this writing. But it’s been fun to let loose my thoughts upon you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and got something out of it, like I did reading last year’s letter.

I’ve gotta run to go do a workout with Alex and Darren. It’s a beautiful, scorching hot day. I’m already looking to plunging in the pool after. And then I’m looking forward to returning to work on the blog.

Bigger picture, I’m looking forward to this coming year.

If you still believe like I do that our life’s y-axis is “Growth,” let’s keep making moves (and not thinking too much) that push us upward in that direction.

So here’s to continuing living a life full of adventures and always having more to look forward to.

Yours truly,

To recap, here’s the structure from my example:

• End with your most important message.

For more guidance and ideas on future self letter writing, check these out:

• How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self
• The Benefits and Lessons of Writing a Letter to Your Future Self
• Extensive Tips for Writing a Wonderful Letter to Your Future Self

About the author

👋 I'm Chris. Everything you read on TheZag.com is my fault. This site is like a gym for your comfort zone, full of challenges to make your status quo sexier. Join my 'Consider This' newsletter for a fun new challenge every 10 days. Try it!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Latest Articles

Adventure Relish: The Secret Sauce for Sensational Living

The 2024 Unrutty Awards: My Best and Worst of the Year

Why I Changed My Life’s Guiding Principle

The Zag shares my adventures off of the boring beaten paths of life and ideas for finding your own unfollowable path.

Floor Sleeping FAQ: Pillows, Positioning, Pain, and More

The (un-)expected benefits of writing letters to your future self, .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd} dare to be different.

Join 'Consider This' for a new challenge that'll nudge you off life's beaten paths every 10 days.

Live Extraordinarily

Join 'Consider This' to get a free challenge to your status quo every 10 days.

© The Zag 2024 | Site by Paul Kelsall

Browse By Category

Interiors & decor, fashion & style, health & wellness, relationships, w&d product, food & entertaining, travel & leisure, career development, book a consultation, amazon shop, shop my home, designing a life well-lived, a letter to my future self (and how you can write one too), relationships, wit & delight lives where life and style intersect., more about us ›.

Interiors & Decor

Fashion & Style

Health & Wellness

Most popular, how writing a personal contract improved my life (and tips for creating your own), i’ve remodeled 3 kitchens—these are my biggest design regrets in each one, 3 ways to optimize your closet (plus, a tour of my new closet space).

I’ve seen a lot of letters to past selves. Here’s what I would say to my post-pandemic self, they read. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are the only one you can count on. Slow down. You can’t go through life afraid to live it. You’re going to be so proud of yourself! I even wrote one in 2019, a tough love letter to my twenty-something self. But why look back? What about our future selves? What questions do we want to ask? What do we wonder?

The theme on Wit & Delight this month is “Show Up As Yourself.” So, I was intrigued to write about the possibility of change and speak to a portion of myself I don’t know. I want to explore how the future me might feel. I want to dedicate time to that mystery soul. This person could have children, not have children, experience loss, grow old, find growth, experience unknown pain, and develop new habits. When we write to selves about the past, we know them and there’s a pompous clarity in the writing. Sure, giving advice to our past selves is fun. But is it helpful? How can we best explore who we might become? How can we best break down the walls of the person we’re afraid to see? How do we write about the unknown?

I want to write a letter with more intention. I want to ask questions and discover what scares me about getting older. In a way, that’s what the most honest writing does for us anyway.

When I think about it, we are always (sort of) writing to future versions of ourselves. We write through dreams and aspirations, ideals, and healing. We imagine the future in great depth, struggling to center on the present. But, I want to write a letter with more intention. I want to ask questions and discover what scares me about getting older. In a way, that’s what the most honest writing does for us anyway. Right? Okay, here goes nothing/everything.

Dear future self,

Hi, it’s me from the past. I’m thirty-five. I don’t know how old you are now. I’m envisioning you’re in your sixties. You’ve lived an entire life. You’re as old as your mom was when you wrote this letter. I guess this letter is sort of like inception. I’m so afraid to write this. I’m struggling to imagine who you are. Can I be honest? You’re you, after all. Right now, I feel selfish. I want to tell you all the things I want in my life. I hope you got them. Right now, your thirty-something self is needy. I want a baby. I don’t want a baby. I want more money. I want to live within my means. Beyond my means. I want more time. I want to scoop minutes up and feel like I can’t possibly carry all the hours to the end of my driveway. I want everyone to live forever. I don’t want to experience deep grief. I’m so lucky. I’m so selfish. 

If you’re sixty, lucky enough to live until then, I know you’ve experienced pain by now. The deep kind, the oceanic kind, the kind that is so dark and expansive, you wouldn’t be able to explain it to me. Are you okay with that grief? I read this quote in Susan Cain’s book Bittersweet recently (you should read it again and see how you feel). “If we could honor sadness a little more, maybe we could see it—rather than enforced smiles and righteous outrage—as the bridge we need to connect with each other. We could remember that no matter how distasteful we might find someone’s opinions, no matter how radiant, or fierce, someone may appear, they have suffered, or they will.” I didn’t mean to jump right into suffering. That must be my fear pouring through. You’ve always been a deeply melancholic person. You love sad music. You have an acute awareness of passing time. You have a joyful curiosity about specific beauty points in the world. Lately, I’ve identified with the Arabic proverb, “Days of honey, days of onion.” You are the definition of bittersweet. Are you still? 

I also read in Bittersweet that, as we get older, we find comfort with the passing of time. I imagine you don’t try and slow it down. You are a quiet way of being, a force of storied tradition, loss, and joy. Does that feel beautiful?

I’m sure you’ve turned toward many humans, loved them, held them, and cared for them. But I hope you’ve done the same for yourself. Somehow, I know you will.

I have some wishes, as well. I hope you transform your sorrow and longings into art. I hope you’ve written a lot of letters. I hope work didn’t consume you, even though you let your job get away from you in your thirties. I hope you gave your parents the stage and the time. I’m sure you’ve turned toward many humans, loved them, held them, and cared for them. But I hope you’ve done the same for yourself. Somehow, I know you will. I want you to remember a few things about this time in your life. I want you to remember how light you felt when you rode Crow, that big chestnut horse you adored. I want you to remember how it felt to see your words in print for the first time, proof you exist. I want you to remember your little yard in front of your first home, the mow lines, and how much you care about grass and impressing the neighbors. I want you to remember late nights in the garage with Jake, refurbishing furniture so everything in your home always reminds you of the work, the polish. I want you to remember the smell of hot tomatoes and summer with your small niece and nephew. I want you to remember their sticky cheeks and bursting, tiny voices. Remember that Jake loves to build you things. Remember the ocean with your mom and sister, how it feels to reach out to them, and love them in the morning fog of Carmel. Remember the Northwoods with your friends when none of you had children. Remember hot, fried buttered buns at fish fries and how much time you had to watch your peonies grow. Remember the feverish wanting of pregnancy , the unknown hope of craving expansiveness, a physical outwardness. 

I also want you to remember the hard things. I want you to remember living paycheck to paycheck, not being able to get the things you wanted because you didn’t have enough money. I want you to remember the doctor bills you struggled to pay, crying on the way home from work, not being able to imagine traveling to other countries, and wondering if your life was limited to 200 miles north, east, south, and west of your home. Did you travel more? Do you still feel this? All these things will feel different to you now, perhaps as distant memories. Small moments in your thirties that you’ll read later like you’re starving. Perhaps there’s something else entirely that makes you feel light. I hope you’re still riding. I can imagine you still care about clean yards and a pretty lawn. That’s what makes you a lot like your dad. We carry our family with us everywhere.

When you were in grade school, you’d write long lists of “favorite things” so you could look back years later and read about how much you’d changed. You were obsessed with seeing that, five years ago, you had a crush on so-and-so and loved (god forbid!) The O.C. and the color blue . 

All these things will feel different to you now, perhaps as distant memories. Small moments in your thirties that you’ll read later like you’re starving. Perhaps there’s something else entirely that makes you feel light.

Let’s try that again! Right now, I’m really into Brené Brown’s podcast (are podcasts still a thing?), Dirty Shirleys, antiquing, The Vermont Country Store catalog, my Gentle Reminder Calendar , Paper Mate colorful pens , watching Love Island (sorry, future me), dressing like Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated , sleep aids like sipping iced Sleepy Time Tea before bed, horse head bookends, weather patterns, gingham accents, and how Jake looks at me when I’m talking about something I love. Do you still love these things? Do you wish for them? In my Passion Planner , I write down the biggest lesson I learn every month. Here’s what I’ve written this year:

• Resonance is important.
• Nothing beyond love and kindness matters.
• Your anger is you. Not anyone else. Sit inside that.
• Stop anticipating, trust the burn.
• Being uncomfortable is progress.
• Sadness is wide, grief is a close friend.
• Nothing should be rushed.
• You can always go back.
• Hold fear and joy in equal glory. Both can exist at once.
• You are always doing better than you think.
• Dandelions are good.
• To be happy, be more tree.
• Don’t go to a concert high.

I’m sure you have so many to add now. Or maybe you don’t. Or maybe you think these are ridiculous. Or maybe you no longer find the need to make “lesson lists.” I’m happy. I have my hard days. I have bad habits. I haven’t gone to the dentist to fill those cavities, so I hope you don’t have five crowns by now. I am putting a lot of money toward my 401K, so I hope I’m setting you up for success. I’m doing my best. That’s the lesson here. My thirty-something best is hopefully your sixty-something peace of mind. 

Will people find this article on the internet in twenty-five years? ( Writer’s Note: Please don’t talk to me about how I’ll be sixty years old in twenty-five years.) Will they find it funny? Weird? I’m not sure. Perhaps, like in the past, internet articles will wash up like a lost bottle in the sea—little shards of the lived. And someday, I will come back to this past self, searching for my future. I might have to print it out, just in case. Either way, I hope you’re happy too. I hope life feels full. I hope the people in your life reflect how you have shown your beacon of light in the world, no matter how faint or how strong.  Sincerely, Brittany, your thirty-something (past) self

Lastly, I highly recommend you try this exercise.

Writing to a later version of myself gave me some specific clarity about who I want to be and how I want to grow. 

Here are some tips to try to write your own “future-self” letter:

• Write down what you want to remember.
• Write down what you don’t want to remember.
• Write about your favorite things.
• Jot down notes about how you’re feeling right now.
• Scribble down the lessons you’ve learned.
• Ask your future self how you’re different now.
• Lastly, write a note to yourself in a year, three years, five years… put them in an envelope and write down the date you can read them again.

Will you write yours?

Brittany Chaffee is an avid storyteller, professional empath, and author. On the daily, she gets paid to strategize and create content for brands. Off work hours, it’s all about a well-lit place, warm bread, and good company. She lives in St.Paul with her baby brother cats, Rami and Monkey. Follow her on Instagram , read more about her latest book, Borderline , and (most importantly) go hug your mother.

BY Brittany Chaffee - September 20, 2022

Like what you see? Share Wit & Delight with a friend: 

amazing article.

Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

What an interesting thing to do I love this idea!

xo Jessica <a href=”https://anindigoday.com/”>an indigo day</a>

Thank you, Jessica! Let me know if you give it a try!

This was absolutely beautiful – I did not expect to stumble across this this morning. Your writing is soft, and clever, and inspiring. You should be proud of what you created here. Thank you for sharing.

I appreciate this so much 🙂 Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Trying this exercise truly helped me feel closer to myself and I hope it helps others do too! xoxo

This was absolutely beautiful. I didn’t expect to get emotional reading it but as a 36 year old woman so much of what you said was relatable. Thank you

Thank you so kindly, Melissa! This makes my day to hear you could relate to this letter. It was so meaningful for me to write, so I’m happy it was for you as well!

Amazing article! Thanks for the positive and encouraging words of wisdom! 😊

Thank you so much for reading, Britney! Have a lovely weekend!

Thank you for this. I am 70 and my 8 year old adopted daughter has an assignment to do this very thing. I think it will be a great experience for her. Your words reached my heart and came out of my eyes. Thank you

Hello, Diane. It is so incredible to me that your daughter is doing this exercise! I think I did something like it at her age too and I wish I could find that letter now. Thank you for reading and loving.

Most-read posts:

Did you know W&D now has a resource library of  Printable Art, Templates, Freebies, and more?

take me there 

Get our best w&d resources, for designing a life well-lived.

Kate’s Picks: 11 Things I Tried and Loved Lately

7 Versatile Spring Wardrobe Basics to Add to Your Closet in 2024

7 of My Favorite Winter-to-Spring Outfits I’ve Worn Lately

8 Quick and Easy Spring Decor Ideas That Will Refresh Your Home

6 Mindset Shifts That Have Changed My Life for the Better

The Key Wellness Pillars and Habits I’m Prioritizing in My Life This Year

More stories.

Thank you for being here. For being open to enjoying life’s simple pleasures and looking inward to understand yourself, your neighbors, and your fellow humans! I’m looking forward to chatting with you.

Hi, I'm Kate. Welcome to my happy place.

ABOUT WIT & DELIGHT

follow  @WITANDDELIGHT

A LIFE THAT

Follow us on instagram @witanddelight_, designing a life well-lived.

fashion & style

Get our best resources.

Did you know W&D now offers Digital Art, Templates, Freebies, & MORE?

legal & Privacy

Wait, wait, take me there.

Site Credit

Accessibility STatement

A Letter to My Future Self

With the knowledge of our present-day selves, we put forth advice for the years to come. Want to add your letter to our collection? Add it in the comments!

We often think of advice as passing on wisdom from elder to youth, teacher to student, parent to child. The veteran guides the novice, the process didactic in nature.

But what if the coin flips, and we, as our present-day selves, offer advice to an older, more worn version of ourselves? Think of it as an exercise in self-love , a means of preserving and protecting what’s important today well into the future.

We asked members of the Wanderlust family to pen letters to their future selves. Here’s what they had to say.

Dear Future Self, 

Whatever you’re doing right now, stop. Go outside. Call your parents (if you’re lucky enough that they’re both still here). Take a moment and go have yourself a proper personal day. And don’t—don’t you dare—feel guilty for taking the time for yourself.

This year has been a crazy one. You learned what love really means, the lengths to which friendship can be tested (and lost), and became a yoga teacher . You’ve lived in New York for 14 years, and you’re ready to go to the mountains. Did you? Do you have a garden and goats and a fireplace? You’ve started thinking about having children, though you’re not sure whether or not children or heading out on another epic backpacking trip is the way to go. Know that whatever decision you made, it was the right one. You’re here now, and you’re exactly where you need to be. 

A couple things to remember: You learned how to honor and treat your body well this year, and how to honor and treat those around you. Don’t ever settle for the easy way—just don’t settle, period. Life is too short. And remember that this current version of yourself loves you… And that’s not going to change.

Dear Future Self,

Remember your wedding day (of course you do!)? It is exactly ten days from today. Ten days before you marry the love of your life, a man who not only puts up with your quirks (like your neurotic, gluten-free, obsessively healthy diet), but has taught you how to laugh at them and love them, removing insecurity. You had a lot on your plate this year, and despite a few major meltdowns and wedding dress nightmares, you survived. You’re going home to see your family, and 150 of your closest friends; this is pretty much the most fun ever and I hope you look back on this time with love.

Tell your children you love them, a lot, I’m sure they are incredible humans and deserve to hear it. Also, let them eat a cookie once in a while. Hang out with your mom as much as possible, words cannot describe what she has done for you over the years.

You probably work really hard, so this is an order: take a vacation with your husband, this month. Book it today, but don’t think too much about it, wherever you go will be perfect, as everything is right now, and always.

I love you. 

Take a breath. Look down at your two feet. Where are they right now? Look around you. Do you see nature? Go touch the leaves. Pick a flower and deeply inhale its beautiful fragrance. Do you hear birds? Stop and take a moment to go listen to their music, because not everyone is so fortunate enough to be able to hear and enjoy that experience. Do you feel the sunshine on your skin? If not, go step outside and be grateful for the fact that it is constantly shining down on you, and that you are alive. Go take a bite of something delicious and savor every moment with absolutely no concern around any kind of weight gain. Not everyone is so privileged to have access to food, so superficial aesthetics should be the least of your worries regardless of the deep societal impositions. How have you been of service to others today?

You spent your whole childhood yearning to be an adult, impatiently waiting for the rite of passage that would grant you the maturity, respect, and validation you so desperately sought. Now that you’re an adult, all you crave is the sweetly uninhibited moments of play and lack of responsibility that childhood granted you. Life isn’t a sprint, it’s a long race and you’re not in it just to “win.” Be gentle with yourself. Be messy sometimes. Let it all go. Embrace all of your learnings and cherish your experiences because they truly are divinely fated.  

ENJOY IT. ALL OF IT. You will have enough time to do everything that you love, so stop stressing so much. You miss the beauty when you are stressed. Be here now. Hug those around you. Ask them how they are doing, and truly listen (without plotting your response at the same time). The inexplicable sensation of true connection and understanding is the best feeling in the entire world. Money is just a number. It comes and it goes. Love is the true currency.  

No one lives forever so be sure to cherish every moment, and when they pass and when you pass, find comfort in knowing that we are simply souls within these bodies, and we will all be connected at some point again. Life is a gift, not something that is a given, so enjoy every second while you’re here.

Hey, Future Self,

What’s up! Life has been interesting, crazy, fun, boring, unexpected, expected—a lesson in opposition.

Despite all the constant frustration, you’ve managed to wear glitter every damn day, and hey, that’s kinda a victory, right? Your clothes are on point—a ton of of shiny stuff, colors, and general epic yoga outfits fit in your closet.

You’ve got the most epic dog, sweet friends, and an above average family (well, let’s not include your extended family).

You get to spend time outside in one of the most beautiful places on earth and you’re in the best shape of your life thus far, so that’s great.

As you continue to age, you’ll continue to get more awesome. Remember, the goal is to peak at 90 (or later). You’ve got a lot of time.

Despite the frustration, you’re on your way to making all your dreams come true (probably).

Now go on an epic vacation and buy a new outfit with your sweet bank account that you hopefully acquired by now. You’ve earned it.

Keep killing it.

Everything that has happened has lead you to this moment. Don’t change a thing. Everything worked out exactly as it should be. All the puzzle pieces fit, all the paths make sense. All the people were meant to be. All the successes and failures and heartwarming and heartbreaking moments were all worth it. No regrets. You were and are and have been and always will be yourself, and that’s what matters above all.

I’m assuming you’re reading this on some sort of graphene screen strapped around your wrist or glued to your face. Cool! Fancy! High-tech!

Right now your life is one giant crossroads. It’s exciting. It’s frustrating. It’s temporary. I hope you have a few more things figured out by now. But I also hope you still have some questions. Keep asking them.   

I’m sure you’ve got a lot going on right now, and that’s good. Just don’t lose track of what’s important, what’s worth making time for. Spend time with people you love. That’s first and foremost, always. Pick up the phone. Make some plans. Get outside, even when the couch is calling. Camp in the woods. Build a fire. Have some wine. Stay up late. Climb a mountain. Go for a sail. Trust that things will work out, or change them if you don’t like the charted course. Eat good food cooked from scratch. See live music. Travel abroad with someone you care about. Immerse yourself in a good book. Do you have kids? Raise them right. Spend time with them. Teach them how to shake someone’s hand properly. Write down your thoughts. Tell your stories. Tell others’ stories. Listen. Set goals, both lofty and reasonable. Move your body. Give back.

And never forget to be grateful. You should be oh, so very grateful.

Keep going.

Hey girl, slow down for a second—I have some things I want to share.

Some stuff is going to happen to you. You won’t be able to plan for it, pencil it in your schedule for when is good for you, or always have someone pick up the phone to guide you through it. You’re going to have to just roll with the flow , take it in, glean lessons from it, and then carry on, head held high. Maybe journal on it—sometimes insights don’t come quick, but there’s something positive to be found from most experiences in life. Focus on that.

You’re going to have a lot of mantras throughout your life that are going to help you. No, just because one strikes you when you’re practicing a hip-opener doesn’t mean you should get a tattoo of it on your forearm. You’d be covered by now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but mantras—like people—will come and go in your life. And as much as you’d like to you can’t hold on to them all. You best realize this now and just try and enjoy what you have in the present moment. Just because it passes doesn’t mean it wasn’t powerful or important. And you’re not silly for believing in it. Please never stop holding on to hope. It will cause you pain, but it will also help you get through the days, excite you, and make you feel like your heart is a big thing of cotton candy. Are you still eating cotton candy? Good. Go high-five that inner child we sometimes think is so silly. She reminds you of your mother. Go buy yourself one of those Spongebob Squarepants popsicles you get so excited about and give her a call. She misses you too. Your to-do list can wait.

You got this. 

What advice would you give your future self?

Sign up for a weekly delivery of inspiration, exclusive offers, contests and the inside scoop on events..

Thank You! Your profile was successfully updated.

Leave us a message!

Please send us a note and our team will get back to you shortly.

• Your Name *
• Your Email *
• Region * US & Canada Europe Latin America Asia Australia & NZ
• Country Austria France Germany Italy Netherlands Portugal Spain Switzerland United Kingdom & Ireland
• Country United States Canada
• Country Mexico Argentina Chile Colombia
• Country Japan South Korea Russia China
• Country Australia New Zealand
• Topic * Wanderlust Events Wanderlust TV Wanderlust Supplements Other Wanderlust Topic
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Comment on this text

A Letter to My Future Self

November 05, 2020

By Samantha Ferrer

This post is a letter to my future self, and to those who also feel lost, confused, and sad. I wonder about: Who will I turn out to be in the future? Will I be a good or bad person, will I gain or lose someone or something?

Will I lose myself? I'm not sure about any of these questions, but I hope that when I look back on this letter, I can make my future self proud of the person I turned out to be.

Dear Future Self,

I hope when you read this, you are okay. You are not sad, or anxious, or scared. I hope you accomplished everything you wanted to accomplish. I can only hope, for I don't know what the future holds.

Image Credit: mododeolhar, Pexels

I hope your friends are doing well, I hope you still have the same friends you have had. I hope you still remember it's the quality of friends, and not the quantity. If you still have at least one of the same friends, I want you to contact them right now and tell how much you appreciate them for staying in your life this long.

I'm surprised to see who stayed and who left, what changed in the friendship. I hope you made good memories over the years with the friends you have now. I really want you to appreciate what little moments we have with friends, before they're gone.

I want you to remember who they were, before life changed them. I hope you laughed, as well as cried with them. Those are the friendships that stay together.

Close friends you share a bond with, who care about you, who accept you for you, those are the ones worth fighting for. Don't let them go. For the friends that left, I hope you're still on good terms with them.

Don't burn your bridges, they have influenced you and kind of took a part in who you are today. Thank them for being your friend, for staying in the toughest of times, for being a part of your life, for helping you grow and mature.

Image Credit: Tyler Nix, Unsplash

I hope you are still close with your family. No matter what they say or do, they are still your family. Don't let an argument or a fight stand in the way of talking to them.

I hope mom and dad are okay and are doing well physically, emotionally, and mentally. I hope you are close with your sister, because she is the only sibling you have. Although you two may sometimes fight, you have to love her.

There is no one out there like her. You may have friends that you are close with, and they may act as your “siblings”, but she is the only one that is truly blood related and you can't change that no matter how bothersome she may get. I really do hope she is doing well, I hope you two are close and have a strong bond with each other.

Image Credit: Vån Thång, Pexels

I hope you found someone, someone who you trust, someone who will always be there for you. I hope he is your best friend, I hope he takes care of you, and protects you. Take care of him, love him, love him for all that he is.

Tell him how much you appreciate him for staying in your life. Show him that you care. Be with him through all the ups and downs that life throws at you guys. Relationships only stay strong because of trust, loyalty, and the strength to hold on even when it seems hard to.

I hope you got hurt looking for someone. I hope he broke your heart. Why do I wish this for you?

Because although broken hearts cannot be entirely fixed, they can heal over time. Broken hearts show you that sometimes what seems to be perfect, isn't always right or meant to last. You will only grow and mature into a stronger person with a heart that is impenetrable.

You will learn how to open your heart, and let others in; feel vulnerable. Find someone that makes life a little easier, makes you laugh a little harder, and smile a little longer.

Image Credit: Holly Mandarich, Unsplash

I hope that you get out of your comfort zone. Try something new, learn, try, fail, do it all. Take the chance, take the risk.

Doing something new and different could be exciting, you'll never know unless you try. Please try. Be more outgoing, be different.

You might end up liking something you'd never thought of liking. I want you to be proud of the chances and risks you took, because it made you a better, stronger person. You'll never grow unless you try new things and step out of your comfort zone.

I hope you don't become the same person that you are now, because that means you never experienced new things or stepped out of your comfort zone. I want to have hope for the choices and decisions you choose to make in the future. Trust and believe that it will work out in the end.

I hope life has changed you for the better because of it. I don't want you to look back on life and regret not taking that opportunity or seizing that moment. Please don't live life with regrets of anything.

Do it all if possible. Travel, love, cry, experience life's beautiful moments. Even if you fail, every choice you make will shape you into a different person. I can only hope.

Image Credit: Joel Mott, Unsplash

I hope you are happy, truly, genuinely happy. Happy with your life, your friends, family, happy with yourself. I hope you are successful with your career, life, social life, as well as accomplishments and goals.

I hope you take risks and still end up happy, no matter what happened in the end. I hope you lost as well as found something. I hope you become happy with your choices, your goals, as well as your failures.

Be happy in life. Do what makes you happy, not what others want for you. Express and impress yourself, not others.

It's your life, you choose whether you want to be positive in life. Choose to be happy, life is better when you are happy. Life is too short for what ifs or possibilities.

Take the risk, take the opportunity. Meet new people, effect others, start a chain reaction, make a difference in the world. Change your attitude, impact others with your actions and words.

You are valued, you are important. Make the choice to be happy.

Me, Your Past Self

Think this article is a must-read? Share it! 🤳💬

Samantha Ferrer 300k+ pageviews

Samantha Ferrer is a 21-year-old in California and is currently in her fourth year of college. She enjoys reading, writing, spending time with close friends, and binge-watching her favorite shows and movies. Samantha also enjoys watching Rom-Coms and John Hughes movies. In her free time, you can find Samantha thrift shopping, and enjoying/looking at nature.

Recent in Opinion

Let us slide into your dms 🥰.

• Side Hustles
• Power Players
• Young Success
• Save and Invest
• Become Debt-Free
• Land the Job
• Closing the Gap
• Science of Success
• Pop Culture and Media
• Psychology and Relationships
• Health and Wellness
• Real Estate
• Most Popular

Related Stories

• Leadership Use these 3 phrases to sound smarter and   more emotionally intelligent: experts
• Life This year, I’m doing less—it's a ‘great   idea for a resolution,’ expert says
• Spend Decluttering tips from professional   organizers that save time, money and stress
• Save and Invest How much money Americans in their   30s have in their 401(k)s
• Health and Wellness This is the No. 1 thing that influences Gen   Z's happiness, a new survey shows

How writing a letter to your future self can help you set—and achieve—long-term goals, experts say

Creating and maintaining the kind of habits that will benefit you in the long-term can be a challenge. Just a month into 2024, 41% of Americans who'd made New Year's resolutions had kept just some or none of them at all, according to the Pew Research Center .

But there are practices that can help. Ari Wallach, executive director of Longpath , which helps foster long-term thinking in organizations and individuals, outlined a couple of practices for changing present-day behavior on a recent episode of the "Masters of Scale: Rapid Response" podcast.

One of them is to "write a letter to your future self," he told podcast host Bob Safian. "The research shows that it's not about receiving that letter but it's actually about writing that letter that changes how you think about yourself and your role in future shaping."

Mental health professionals agree that there's a benefit to this practice.

Writing a letter to your future self "helps people concentrate on their goals," says Gail Purvis, clinician in private practice and at Weill Cornell Medicine's department of psychiatry. That's because "putting pen to paper … emphasizes the importance of thinking about your future and what you want," she says.

The research shows that it's not about receiving that letter but it's actually about writing that letter. Ari Wallach Executive director, Longpath

The most effective way of doing this is not to set concrete goals, such as "by now you should have purchased a house and gotten married and had two kids," she says. Rather, Purvis would encourage people to approach their future selves with genuine hopes and compassion for them.

Try writing statements like "I hope the work that you have decided to do is meaningful and pleasurable to you" and "I hope that you have friends who love you" and who you love just as much. These kinds of statements won't make your future self feel guilty if certain goals have not been accomplished.

Wallach doesn't emphasize the importance of receiving the letter as much as crafting it, but Purvis says there's benefit to this as well.

Reading your letter down the line "increases a lot of self-awareness," she says, because it can help you get to know yourself better and see, over time, what you set out to do and what you accomplished. Ultimately, "the more you know yourself and the more you have compassion for yourself, the better decisions you'll make for yourself and for your loved ones."

Write that letter to your future self and keep it safe for as long as you want to wait to open it. You can also ask a family member to hold on to it, set it as an email that will get sent in the future or try using a service like FutureMe , which lets you write a letter and sends it for you.

Want to land your dream job in 2024?   Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview  to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF.

What to Write in a Letter to Your Future Self

Do you ever feel like your dreams and goals are somehow disconnected from your life in the here and now? It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget about creating the life you really want.

But what if I told you that there’s a powerful way to bridge the gap between the present and the future? A method that allows you to connect with your future self and gain valuable insights into your current life?

Writing a letter to your future self is a timeless exercise that transcends your daily existence. It’s a rare opportunity to converse with the person you’ll become, and a chance to offer encouragement, set intentions, and provide the guidance you’ll need as you move forward in life.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how and what to write in a letter to your future self, including some examples to get your ideas flowing.

Let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery and communication with the future – you might be surprised by what you find.

What Is a Letter to Your Future Self?

Writing a letter to your future self involves composing a message addressed to the person you envision becoming at some point in the future. It is a profound act of self-reflection and a powerful tool for personal growth.

This isn’t just a fun exercise – studies show that individuals who feel a close connection to their future selves, and who recognize that they evolve and change over time, tend to achieve higher academic grades, enjoy superior financial well-being, and experience greater overall life satisfaction and well-being.

Writing a letter to your future self was also found to decrease negative emotions and increase positive ones in a study during the COVID-19 pandemic. This effect was attributed to the concept of “temporal distancing” from the current stressful situation. In essence, by connecting with their future selves through letter writing, participants were better able to cope with their current challenges.

When you write to your future self, you engage a powerful connection with your subconscious mind. This process allows your subconscious to identify with the future version of yourself that you’re addressing in the letter.

By putting your thoughts and aspirations onto paper, you’re essentially programming your subconscious mind to align with your desired future.

Benefits of Writing a Letter to Your Future Self

Writing a letter to future versions of yourself is an investment in your personal growth and transformation that comes with many benefits:

The act of writing a letter compels you to introspect. It forces you to articulate your thoughts and feelings, which provides clarity on your current state of mind.

And by visualizing and communicating with your future self, you gain a clearer understanding of your aspirations, values, and goals. This process prompts you to evaluate your life’s trajectory and consider whether your present actions align with your long-term objectives.

2. Goal Accomplishment

The act of writing down goals makes them real and increases the likelihood that they will be achieved. Neuroscience supports this idea , showing that when you physically write something down, you improve the encoding process in your brain – which significantly enhances your chances of accomplishing your goals.

3. Encouragement

A letter to your future self serves as a beacon of hope during challenging times. It reminds you of your resilience and the brighter days ahead, while providing the encouragement needed to overcome your current adversity and keep moving forward.

This written connection with your future self becomes a source of strength and hope that can help guide you through tough times.

4. Motivation

Imagine receiving a letter from your past self that’s filled with encouragement, reminders of your dreams, and expressions of belief in your potential. Reading such a letter can be a powerful motivator during moments of self-doubt or when faced with obstacles. It can also reignite your determination to pursue specific goals.

Essential Elements to Include in Your Letter

Now that you understand the significance of this manifestation method , let’s explore exactly what to write in a letter to your future self.

1. Your Current Situation

Start by reflecting on your current circumstances, emotions, and thoughts. What are you experiencing right now? Be honest and talk openly about your feelings and the challenges you might be facing.

This provides a snapshot of your present self that you can reflect on when you read the letter at a later date.

2. Your Aspirations and Goals

Clearly articulate your goals, dreams, and aspirations for your future self. What do you want to achieve? What kind of person do you hope to become?

Describe these aspirations in detail and paint a vivid picture of the life you envision. Make sure these intentions are meaningful to you personally as they’ll act like a compass guiding you towards the destination you desire.

3. Your Personal Achievements to Date

It’s important to include your current accomplishments. Recognizing and acknowledging what you’ve achieved so far helps to build confidence and self-esteem. It also serves as a powerful reminder of your capabilities and potential in the face of challenges.

In addition, when you read this letter years later, it offers a tangible record of your progress and an opportunity to celebrate your journey. Everyone starts somewhere. And every accomplishment, no matter how small, is a step forward.

4. Positive Expectations

When you write a letter, include positive expectations and affirmations that strengthen your belief in your future self and your capacity to achieve your objectives.

According to Psychology Today , maintaining a positive outlook can profoundly affect your mindset, improve your social connections, and enhance stress-coping abilities. A positive focus on the future can have considerable influence on your present actions and life experience.

5. Specific Action Steps

Outline the steps you plan to take to reach your goals. What actions will you commit to in order to manifest your desired future? This concrete planning provides a roadmap for your journey and turns your dreams into actionable steps.

As you compose your letter to your future self, remember that it’s a personal process of self-discovery. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula – so embrace your uniqueness and let your words flow authentically.

Choosing the Right Time Frame

Deciding when to open your letter to your future self is important, and depends on what you want from your letter.

For example, if you’re focusing on short-term goals or want to see how things have changed recently, six months might be enough time to wait before reading your letter.

If your focus is more on significant life milestones or profound transformations – like graduating college, turning 30, or retiring – consider giving yourself years instead of months. Think five, ten or even twenty years. It’s all up to when you want to see yourself and how much growth and change you anticipate.

Consider giving your letter to a family member or close friend who can mark their calendar and give you the letter when it’s time. Having someone you trust hold onto your letter and remind you when the right time comes can be a great way to ensure you don’t forget about it.

Setting the Mood for Writing Your Letter

The setting that you choose for writing your letter to your future self can significantly impact its influence. It’s kind of like preparing the stage for a heartfelt conversation with a close friend.

• Choose the space: To begin, find a place that encourages introspection. It could be a peaceful corner at home, a serene park, or even a cozy café – anywhere that allows you to connect with your thoughts without distractions. The sound of waves crashing at the beach might inspire profound thoughts, just as quiet solitude in your own space can.
• Create the atmosphere:  Adding elements like calming music or scented candles can enhance your experience. Research suggests that certain types of music can improve your emotional state and promote relaxation, helping you tap deeper into your emotions while writing.
• Mental preparation: Preparing mentally is also crucial. Before you start writing, take some time to meditate or engage in mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing or simple yoga poses like the tree pose . These practices clear your mind and encourage honest reflections as you outline your life’s goals and aspirations in the letter.
• Choose your time: The timing matters too. Whether you’re most reflective during the early hours of the morning or late at night, choose the time that suits you best. You could even create a ritual around this experience – like lighting incense sticks before you begin. Rituals can make your writing session feel more sacred and significant.

Expressing Emotions in Your Letter

Research suggests that writing about your emotions helps you better understand yourself and promotes personal growth.

By laying out your feelings in this letter, you’re not only recognizing where you’re at in the present, but also laying the foundation for envisioning where you want to be later in life.

When you write your letter, don’t hold back. Lay bare all your feelings – whether it’s joy, sadness, fear, or excitement. You could try exploring something like an emotion wheel to help you identify what you’re feeling.

Don’t be afraid to dive deep into the core of your emotions. It can be like peeling back layers to reveal the heart of the matter. For example, instead of just saying, “I’m scared,” dive deeper into what exactly is causing that fear within you.

The more detailed and specific you get about the origin and impact of each emotion right now, the deeper you can go, and the more growth you can experience.

Also, remember to express gratitude for where you are now and everything you’ve already experienced. This will help set a positive tone to attract more of the same.

Tips for Writing an Impactful Letter

Crafting a letter to your future self is an intimate and transformative experience. To make the most of this practice, consider the following tips to ensure your letter is truly impactful:

1. Be Honest with Yourself

Your first step should be brutal honesty. This isn’t the time to sugarcoat things or dodge difficult topics. Lay out your current situation as it truly is – blemishes and all. No one will be reading this except you, so don’t restrict yourself.

Your future self will benefit most from the unvarnished truth, as it provides a clear starting point from which you have grown and transformed over time.

2. Get Specific with Details

Rather than using vague language, provide concrete examples and details about all the things you’re experiencing. For instance, instead of saying, “I’m feeling stressed,” you might explain, “I’m overwhelmed by the workload at my job, which has led to sleepless nights and constant anxiety.”

This level of detail not only helps you and your future self connect more deeply with the message, but also gives more depth for you to reflect on later.

3. Be Encouraging

While it’s important to be honest about challenges, you also want to infuse your letter with encouragement regarding any issues you can expect to face. Offer words of encouragement and belief in your ability to overcome obstacles, much like a trusted friend who provides unwavering support.

Remind your future self that challenges are opportunities in disguise and reinforce the notion that they have the resilience to overcome anything that comes their way.

4. Use SMART Goals

When outlining your aspirations in the letter, try using the SMART goal  criteria –Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This strategic approach helps you clarify your objectives and provides a clear roadmap to follow.

By setting SMART and realistic goals, you equip your current and future self with a practical plan to turn your dreams into reality.

5. Incorporate Personal Affirmations

Positive psychology highlights the powerful impact that affirmations have on your self-identity. Incorporate personal affirmations into your letter to empower your future self with a resilient mindset that can conquer challenges and embrace opportunities.

These affirmations serve as powerful reminders of your inner strength and capacity to achieve your goals.

6. Ask Your Future Self Questions

Don’t hesitate to pose questions to your future self in your letter. Questions could be about personal growth, achievements, or changes in your perspectives on life.

For example, you could ask questions like, “Have you managed to strike a work-life balance?” or “Have you maintained mindfulness in everyday life, and how has it impacted you?” or “How have you evolved in your understanding of happiness and fulfillment?”

These questions help your future self reflect on your journey and provide valuable insights into the personal transformations you’ve experienced over time. Remember, this is a dialogue with yourself, and the questions you pose can support you now and in the future.

Storing and Opening Your Future Letter

Safeguarding your letter to your future self is as important as writing it. A special box or envelope, maybe even a safe, can keep the physical version secure. But if you’ve written an electronic letter, consider FutureMe – a tool designed specifically for this purpose.

Think about how often you’d like to be surprised by the letter’s existence when deciding where to store it. You might place it somewhere visible but not intrusive, like on a bookshelf. Or tuck it away in an old keepsake box for an element of surprise when you stumble upon it years later.

Your opening ceremony needs careful thought, too. It’s like unearthing a time capsule from the past – it should feel magical and transformative.

Try creating a ritual around opening your letter. Brew some tea or pour yourself some wine… a bit of celebration never hurts. You could invite loved ones over for support during this emotional journey – but only if they were part of your original vision while writing the note.

Awareness is key here. Prepare yourself mentally before diving into past emotions and thoughts preserved in ink (or pixels). As human beings with complex feelings, we need reminding that all emotions are valid – even those from our past selves.

This is about your manifestation journey. Use your letter as a compass to guide you forward and help you appreciate how far you’ve come.

Examples of Letters to Your Future Self

What follows are a few ideas to prompt your creativity. There’s no right or wrong way to write a letter – it’s all about capturing the essence of you in this moment to motivate your current self and inspire the future you.

1. A Letter from a Student to her Future Graduate Self

“Dear Me,

As I write this, I’m wrapping up my first year in college. The journey so far has been a whirlwind of excitement, fear, joy, and lots of learning. I’ve loved some subjects, while others proved challenging. My hope is that by the time you read this, you’re a proud graduate.

Remember the dreams we had? The passion for environmental science, the determination to make a difference? I hope you’ve held onto that. Remember the friends we’ve made and the lessons we’ve learned outside the classroom. Are they still meaningful to you?

Above all, I hope you’ve grown – not just in knowledge, but in courage, kindness, and resilience. Keep chasing dreams, Future Self, and continue being a beacon of positive change.

Present Me”

2. A Note from an Aspiring Entrepreneur to his Future Successful Business Owner Self

“Hey Future Self,

Right now, I’m filled with dreams and ideas, ready to take on the world. I’ve just embarked on this entrepreneurial journey, brimming with the hope of turning my passion for technology into a successful venture. I hope, by the time you read this, you’ve built a thriving business that brings innovative solutions to people’s lives.

I dream of making a difference and always staying true to our values. Have you remained committed to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration? Have you managed to maintain a healthy work-life balance? Success is sweeter when it’s shared.

I hope you’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, and continue to strive for more, while also taking time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Current Me”

3. Letter to Your Future Self for a Milestone Birthday

“Dear Future Self,

As I sit down to write this letter to you, I can hardly believe that the time has come for you to celebrate your [30th/40th/50th, etc.] birthday! It’s a big moment in your life, and I want to take this opportunity to reflect on the incredible journey that has brought us here.

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the person you’ve become. You’ve weathered storms and celebrated victories, and through it all, you’ve grown stronger and wiser. The experiences, both joyful and challenging, have shaped you into the remarkable individual you are today.

Remember the dreams and aspirations we had in our younger days? Have you pursued them with unwavering determination? I hope you’ve achieved many of those dreams and have new ones to look forward to.

But beyond accomplishments, I hope you’ve also found joy and fulfillment in the simple moments – the laughter shared with loved ones, the quiet evenings spent in reflection, and the countless memories that make life meaningful. I hope you’re thankful for the past and excited about the future.

With all my love,

Your Younger Self”

FAQs on What to Write in a Letter to Your Future Self

1. how do i write a letter about myself.

When crafting a letter about yourself, begin by sharing your current thoughts, feelings, goals, dreams, fears, and moments of joy. Keep it personal and forward-looking.

Reflect on your present circumstances and how you envision your future self. This can include your career aspirations, intentions for personal development, or changes you hope to see in your life.

2. What is a note to your future self?

A note to your future self is an introspective exercise where you record your thoughts and aspirations aimed at the person you’ll become.

It serves as a personal time capsule that allows you to give advice, make predictions, and express hopes for your future. These notes can be very motivating and encouraging, and a wonderful way to track your personal growth over time.

3. Is writing a letter to your future self beneficial?

Yes, writing letters to your future self helps foster self-reflection and goal-setting, while offering unique insights when read later in life.

These letters can help you become more aware of your personal progress over time – reinforcing your self-confidence and sense of achievement.

4. What should I ask my future self?

Think about asking your future self if the things you’re worried about now still matter. Also, check if you’ve reached the goals you set for yourself and how your past experiences have made you who you are today.

Final Thoughts

Writing a letter to your future self is a profound journey of self-discovery and reflection. As you put pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard – you embark on a unique adventure through time and bridge the gap between your present and future selves.

The act of crafting this letter allows you to pause, reflect, and articulate your innermost thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. It’s an opportunity to make sense of where you are now and realize where you want to be in the future.

When the future moment arrives to open and read your letter, you’ll be amazed by the wisdom, resilience, and growth you’ve experienced along the way. Embrace this practice with an open heart. Your journey is extraordinary, and your letter to your future self can become a lasting testament to your exceptional story.

About The Author

Zoe Blarowski

Related posts.

How and Why to Use Creative Visualization as a Manifestation Technique

Kaizen: A Process for Using Small Actions to Make Big Changes

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

By Audience

• Therapist Toolbox
• Teacher Toolbox
• Parent Toolbox
• Explore All

By Category

• Organization
• Impulse Control
• When Executive Function Skills Impair Handwriting
• Executive Functioning in School
• Executive Functioning Skills- Teach Planning and Prioritization
• Adults With Executive Function Disorder
• How to Teach Foresight
• Bilateral Coordination
• Hand Strengthening Activities
• What is Finger Isolation?
• Occupational Therapy at Home
• Fine Motor Skills Needed at School
• What are Fine Motor Skills
• Fine Motor Activities to Improve Open Thumb Web Space
• Indoor Toddler Activities
• Outdoor Play
• Self-Dressing
• Best Shoe Tying Tips
• Potty Training
• Cooking With Kids
• Scissor Skills
• Line Awareness
• Spatial Awareness
• Size Awareness
• Pencil Control
• Pencil Grasp
• Letter Formation
• Proprioception
• How to Create a Sensory Diet
• Visual Perception
• Eye-Hand Coordination
• How Vision Problems Affect Learning
• Vision Activities for Kids
• What is Visual Attention?
• Activities to Improve Smooth Visual Pursuits
• What is Visual Scanning
• Classroom Accommodations for Visual Impairments

How to make Sensory Bottles for Self Regulation

• Free Resources
• Members Club
• Free Resources , Handwriting , Mental Health

Message To My Future Self

Colleen beck otr/l.

• by Colleen Beck OTR/L
• October 19, 2022

If you wrote a future me letter (or any message to my future self ) while in school, you can understand the value in this assignment. My class wrote one in high school, and thirty years later I still have mine. Each time I find it, I am amazed at how eerily correct I predicted, or knew my future at fifteen. A message to my future self writing prompt can be an amazing growth mindset project to have students write about, at certain parts of their schooling, and archived for later review. 

Use this as a tool to support breaking down goals . Today’s free download is a template writing prompt for a future me letter.

Today’s free download is a template writing prompt for a future me letter.

What is a Future Me letter?

So, what is message for my future self? A message to future me, is just that…a letter for the future version of yourself! It’s a quick glimpse into what you visualize for yourself in your future.

A future me message can be a picture of yourself at it’s current state as you picture yourself now. A future me letter is a great tool for self-reflection. It’s how you would describe yourself to a future version of yourself.

A message to your future self can also be a way to plan goals for yourself. You can visualize your future and make goals for down the road. This can be used along with a goal ladder to work on achieving specific goals.

message to my future self

What would you include if you were to write a “message to my future self”? 

Think about how your life looks right now. What would you change about your environment, your career, friends and family, life situations, etc. What wouldn’t you change about those life events and circumstances?

Can you picture a future life with your optimal circumstances? This is a peek into your future life that you might like to live.

A message to one’s future self is a letter about how you might see your future. It’s a description of how things are right now in your current situation and how you might like to change certain things or not change other things.

Much like using the power of yet , a “future me letter” or a “message to your future self” is a growth mindset tactic. Using affirmations and visualizations, a future me sets the stage for setting and accomplishing personal goals.

This task can be a tool for breaking down goals as well as visualizing a future with those goals already being accomplished.

A message to one’s future self might include:

• Predictions about what you think your life goals should be
• Advice for your future self 
• Events and feelings you might want to recall later
• Your wildest dreams, if you could have anything
• Things you would say to yourself, if you were grown up
• A future me letter containing highlights of present day to be remembered later

FUTURE ME LETTER AT DIFFERENT AGES

Students (and adults) of all ages can write a future me letter.

Imagine the different letters written by each age student. 

Kindergarten future me letter- Kindergarteners might write about their future self becoming a princess or firefighter, or their love of Mom and Dad.  They are not able to think beyond what they know, or far outside of their own circle. This can look like a picture or drawing predicting their future selves. It can also be a sentence or two at the end of the kindergarten year.

Elementary future me letter- Elementary age might have a more realistic view on the world, although still limited in what they are able to write about.  

Middle school future me letter- The future me letter starts to shine during middle and high school when students are able to think outside of their present self, imagine a future, reflect on past mistakes , and offer advice to themselves. 

High school future me letter- In the teenage years is where we start to see a real strategy and prediction of the future self. In the high school years, students are moving toward career readiness as they get first jobs and make post-high school plans. A future me letter written during the high school years can be fairly accurate or completely off base, but the actual letter can be a treasure to read back on as an adult, when all of the learning that has happened is literally on the paper.

In the high school years, self-reflection is important. Covering longer term goals, a future vision of one’s years after high school and the steps to get there can be covered in a future me letter in high school. This is a great addition to occupational therapy for teens .

Future me letter for adults- Just because schooling has passed, doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for a future me letter. In adulthood, writing about future goals and perspectives can be a stepping point for career changes, life goals, and big changes.

No matter the age, this opportunity to look at one’s past, present, and future goals is a wonderful self-reflection activity put into action.

I am a huge fan of the time capsule idea. Collect relevant items from a time period in your learner’s life, and store them away.  Once your learner is old enough to reflect and appreciate the information, share the time capsule with them.  Given “modern” technology, the time capsule, including future me letters, can be physical items, or documents stored on a floppy disk (remember those?) 

Personally I prefer being able to hold and touch physical items from the past.

Writing a message to your future self

Let’s break down the activity analysis of writing a message to your future self.

Writing a future me letter, whether it is kept in a time capsule, posted on the refrigerator, or tossed in the recycle bin (GASP!), is a beneficial assignment. If you prefer a different writing prompt, this list of interest prompts might help your learners get started.

One tool to use in writing a message to ones future self is this goal ladder resource. Use that tool to create actionable steps to achieving a “future you”.

When coming up with a message for your future you to read, it is helpful to reflect on what you would like the future to look like.

This is where self awareness reflection comes in. One needs to be aware of self, but also reflect on current situations as well.

This letter is a great way for therapists to address introspection with clients.

Introspection refers to the examination or observation of one’s own thoughts and feelings. We know that our thoughts and feelings impact daily functioning, executive functioning skills, learning, and social interactions. By taking a look at our thoughts and feelings, we can see where we may want to make some changes for our future self to experience in life.

One way to foster these skills is by targeting self awareness. Use these self awareness games to get the ball rolling.

Use these points as a starting point to create a message to your future self.

Writing a message for your future self in therapy

Writing a message for your future self is a great activity prompt for therapy sessions, beyond the functional handwriting activity. We can use this functional activity to assess and document skills in the future me letter writing prompt.

Accurate documentation, although tedious, is a necessary evil in therapy settings. Documenting handwriting to show progress can be challenging without a rubric. 

Does your note reflect accurate documentation, or contain phrases like good line placement, fair letter formation, or poor spacing?  Think about how you will determine if the spacing has improved with words like poor/fair/good.

The OT Toolbox has some great resources for handwriting rubrics and testing. Try this Handwriting and Data Collection Kit .  It comes in a school age kit as well as a preschool edition .

Writing in general is a core skill. It begins with tracing, moves on to copying, then to response writing, or creative flow.  Learners can get stuck at any of these stages.  Look at this printable Handwriting Tips Pack for strategies. Analyze the activity to see where the learner is lacking the skill to move forward.  

• Kinesthetic awareness – are the messages from the body going to the right receptors? Read more about kinesthetic awareness here.
• Hand strength and dexterity – staying on the lines builds hand muscles and develops muscle control. Is your learner missing some strength or dexterity? This article on hand strengthening activities explains more.
• Visual motor skills –Combining what is seen visually and what is written motorically.  This takes coordination to be able to translate information from visual input to motor output. Coloring, drawing, counting, cutting, and tracing are some visual motor skills.  Poor visual motor skills can be a stumbling block to moving past beginning letter formation. Read about visual motor skills in more detail.
• Social Skills/Executive Function – Following directions, task completion, orienting to details, neatness, multi-tasking, attending to task, and impulse control can be contributing to difficulty completing the future me letter. This resource covers the connection between emotional regulation and executive functioning skills .
• Handwriting: Letter formation – correctly forming the letters top to bottom. Letter sizing – correctly fitting the letters into the sized lines provided. Spacing, line placement, directionality, and spelling are also needed for success. Read about letter formation for more information and resources.
• Copying – copying words from a model, transferring the letters from one place to another is a helpful building block to successful writing. Try these copying cards for more work in this area.
• Fine motor- strengthening, hand development, and grasping pattern when holding the writing utensil and managing the paper. Read more about fine motor skills .
• Bilateral coordination – remembering to use their “helper hand” to hold the paper while writing.  Our resource on bilateral coordination skills covers more.
• Strength – core strength, shoulder and wrist stability, head control, balance, and hand strength are all needed for upright sitting posture and writing tasks.

Using a message to future me letter in occupational therapy

Documenting skills in the future me letter writing prompt

Use the message to your future self to identify areas of development:

Accurate documentation, although tedious, is a necessary evil in therapy settings. Documenting handwriting to show progress can be challenging without a rubric.  Does your note reflect accurate documentation, or contain phrases like good line placement, fair letter formation, or poor spacing? 

Think about how you will determine if the spacing has improved with words like poor/fair/good. The OT Toolbox has some great resources for handwriting rubrics and testing. Try this Handwriting and Data Collection Kit .  It comes in a school age kit as well as a preschool edition .

• the percentage of correct letters
• how many letters are formed correctly/# of reversals/legibility of writing
• size of letters in relation to the space, # of letters on the line
• Omissions, additions, punctuation errors, and spacing can also be considered
• grasping pattern, hand dominance
• attention to detail, following directions, prompts and reminders needed, level of assistance given
• Number of times you need to repeat the directions so your learner can follow them
• Amount of prompts and reminders reminders your learner needs while doing this activity
• Determine what goals and skills you are addressing. Are you looking strictly at letter formation, line placement, and alphabet recall, or something else entirely such as executive function, thought processing, and behavior?

This type of documentation may feel foreign at first if this is not what you are used to, however insurance and governing agencies are becoming more strict on accurate documentation practice. 

When it comes to reviewing progress and gathering information, you will find thorough documentation will be helpful. Check out How to Reach Handwriting Goals.

Perhaps this future me letter has inspired you to write one to yourself.  What would you say to the future you?  Don’t get married to that guy, take a different job, say no to that piece of cake, have more children, or become a princess after all.

Free Letter to future self

Would you like a to print off a template for a letter to future self to use as a writing prompt? This letter can be used in therapy sessions or for personal use. We’ve covered the various ways to use this resource, and now is a great time to start writing to your future you!

This printable is a resource found inside The OT Toolbox Member’s Club. Members can log in and grab the future me letter under “ Handwriting Tools “. Not a member? Enter your email address into the form below to access this printable resource.

Free Letter to Future Self

NOTE* The term, “learner” is used throughout this post for readability and inclusion. This information is relevant for students, patients, clients, preschoolers, kids/children of all ages and stages, or whomever could benefit from these resources. The term “they” is used instead of he/she to be inclusive.

Victoria Wood, OTR/L is a contributor to The OT Toolbox and has been providing Occupational Therapy treatment in pediatrics for more than 25 years. She has practiced in hospital settings (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), school systems, and outpatient clinics in several states. She has treated hundreds of children with various sensory processing dysfunction in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills and self-care. Ms. Wood has also been a featured speaker at seminars, webinars, and school staff development training. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.

More Posts Like This

• Attention , Sensory

• Functional Skills , User Submitted

Teach Your Child To Zip a Jacket

• Fine Motor Skills , Handwriting

Preschool Centers to Develop Pre-Writing Skills

• Attention , Executive Functioning Skills , Occupational Therapy Activities , Sensory

42 Ways to Help Students Stay Organized at School

Quick links, sign up for the ot toolbox newsletter.

Get the latest tools and resources sent right to your inbox!

Get Connected

• Want to read the website AD-FREE?
• Want to access all of our downloads in one place?
• Want done for you therapy tools and materials

Join The OT Toolbox Member’s Club!

Home — Essay Samples — Life — My Future — Dear Future Me: Letter to Future Self

Dear Future Me: Letter to Future Self

• Categories: Dream My Future

About this sample

Words: 826 |

Published: May 9, 2021

Words: 826 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

• Stop crying over people who became ghosts (they all were bitches and assholes in the first place).
• Stop aiming to be a perfectionist (don’t overwork yourself to meet your own expectations, it’s good to be a messed up failure sometimes).
• You should probably stop crying with happiness every time you see a cute dog or cat (I know it’s not gonna happen! but hey, nothing is wrong in advising).
• Make some plans.
• Get outside, even when the couch is calling.
• Prank your friends (the meaner the better).
• Go for a sail.
• Climb a mountain.
• Build a fire.
• Stay up late.
• Camp in the woods.
• Eat good food cooked from scratch.
• See live music.
• Travel abroad with someone you care about.
• Immerse yourself in a good book.

A Letter To Suture Me (essay)

Works cited.

• Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 311.
• Lin, L. Y., Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J. B., Hoffman, B. L., & Primack, B. A. (2016). Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults. Depression and Anxiety, 33(4), 323-331.
• Primack, B. A., Shensa, A., Escobar-Viera, C. G., Barrett, E. L., Sidani, J. E., Colditz, J. B., & James, A. E. (2017). Use of multiple social media platforms and symptoms of depression and anxiety: A nationally-representative study among U.S. young adults. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 1-9.
• Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 15, 100971.
• Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3-17.
• Woods, H. C., & Scott, H. (2016). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 41-49.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Retrieved from https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/2016_sgr_full_report_non-508.pdf
• Royal Society for Public Health. (2017). #StatusofMind: Social media and young people's mental health and wellbeing. Retrieved from https://www.rsph.org.uk/uploads/assets/uploaded/b0e10fde-eec5-4e96-9e5d5fd8de760afc.pdf
• Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women's body image concerns and mood. Body Image, 13, 38-45.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof Ernest (PhD)

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 566 words

1 pages / 483 words

1 pages / 514 words

2 pages / 1064 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on My Future

I was speechless. All I was able to say was “I am sorry”. I ran out crying and went straight home from there. As I got home I went down on my knees beside my bed and asked God to forgive me for all that I had done. After that [...]

As for my long term goals, my one goal I wish to achieve is to be able to graduate from college and get a stable job relating to mechanical engineering. Right now, I’m in the mechanical division in my robotics team. Ever since I [...]

Dear Future Me, I am writting this essay for you. You finally graduated high school! This is a huge accomplishment as in the last few years you thought this would be the most formidable task. Summer is just around [...]

There is this universal pressure that as soon as we reach a certain threshold in our early 20’s, we should have our life together, full-time jobs, house, marriage and stability, among others. What are you studying? What is next [...]

Finance has shown me how to spend and save money on my needs. I learned how to make money grow by using compounded and interest rates and how the outlook and strategies are different now. Every New Year's, I set some goals I [...]

When I was in high school I remember waking up every morning for school with the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air. I could not start the day off without a cup and I’m pretty sure I get it from my mom. Through out all of [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Home / Essay Samples / Life / My Future / Letter To My Future Self

Letter To My Future Self

• Category: Life
• Topic: My Future

Pages: 2 (1008 words)

Views: 2026

• Downloads: -->

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

Compassion Essays

Gratitude Essays

Loyalty Essays

Hope Essays

Passion Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service  and  Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->