Every year on New Year’s Eve I write a letter to the Future Me. It’s something I’ve done for many years, and helps me reflect on what I’ve achieved and how I’ve progressed. I think it’s something everyone should do, it’s a fun way to assess the things that you’ve achieved against your previous expectations, and reflect upon the person you have become over the year. When reading the letter, it lets you see how your life has changed and whether or not you are where you want to be in life.
To help you get started I recommend that you begin with writing a little bit about your current life: What are you up to right now? What are your recent achievements? Write down a memory to read in a years time. Are you able to start a new job? Are you going on holiday? Are you beginning to learn a new skill? If you are starting a new journey, commemorate it by writing a letter to yourself.
Ask yourself ‘What am I grateful for?’. One of the best things for your emotional wellbeing is to practice gratitude.
It makes you realise what you have and can reduce stress. Fill your letter with positive thoughts, and your future self will thank you later. Let your mind run wild and give yourself permission to be ambitious. Where do you want to be in a years time and who do you want to become? What do you want to have achieved? What do you want to have changed?
If you write your letter by hand, put the letter in an envelope, seal it, write ‘To be opened on [Date] by [Your Name]’ and then keep it in a safe place. Don’t open it early – as tempting as it is. If you want to write it on your laptop or phone, you can also send yourself an email on https://www.futureme.org/ which will send your letter to your Future Self in a years time.
These letters make me feel so much more conscious of how I have changed over time and have reminded me of some of my past visions that I lost track of along the way.
They make me proud of how far I have come and make me look forward to the future. See, time travel is possible!
Written by Grace Smith
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