How to write a letter to your future self

Why write one

A letter to your future self is a snapshot you can't fake later: what mattered, what scared you, what you hoped for. Opening it shows you how much has changed, which is easy to forget day to day.

It can also change how you treat that future person now. Research by Hal Hershfield and others suggests that people who feel more connected to their future selves tend to make choices that favor the future, such as saving more (Hershfield, 2011).

Choose when to open it

• 3 to 6 months: good for a goal you're starting now. You'll remember writing it, and it can check in on your progress.
• 1 year: the classic choice. Write it on a birthday or New Year's Day and open it on the next one.
• 5 years or more: for big-picture hopes. Keep it somewhere safe, and write as if to a stranger who knows your secrets.

A simple template

Dear me,

Today is ____________, and I'm writing from ____________.

Right now, my life looks like this: ____________
What's taking up most of my thoughts: ____________
Something I'm proud of: ____________
Something I'm worried about: ____________

By the time you read this, I hope ____________.
I hope you still ____________, and that you've stopped ____________.

Some things I want you to remember:
- ____________
- ____________

Whatever happened, be kind to yourself about it.

Love,
Me

30 prompts for your letter

You don't need all of them. Pick five that make you pause.

• What does a normal Tuesday look like for you right now?
• Who are the people you spend the most time with?
• What are you most looking forward to?
• What's something you're trying to get better at?
• What's a worry you hope is gone by now?
• What did you do last weekend?
• What song, book or show are you into?
• What's one habit you're trying to build?
• What would make this year feel like a good one?
• What advice would you give your past self from a year ago?
• What do you hope you've stopped worrying about?
• What are you grateful for today?
• What's something you believe now that you might not later?
• What's the biggest decision you're facing?
• Where do you hope you're living?
• How do you want to feel about your work?
• What's something small that makes you happy right now?
• What are you avoiding?
• Who do you want to be closer to?
• What's a risk you're thinking about taking?
• How are you taking care of your health?
• What's your relationship with money like at the moment?
• What's a place you want to visit?
• What are you learning?
• What's something you're proud of that nobody else noticed?
• What question do you hope you know the answer to by now?
• What would you like to say sorry or thank you for?
• What's one promise you want to keep to yourself?
• What do you hope hasn't changed?
• What do you want to remember about who you are today?

Two short examples

Six months, about a goal: “Dear me, it's January and I just signed up for my first 5K. I can run about four minutes before I have to walk. If you finished the race, I hope you remember that four minutes. If you didn't, I hope you're not being hard on yourself, and that you're still going out on Saturdays.”

One year, about life: “Dear me, today I moved into the new apartment and nothing is unpacked. I'm nervous about the job and I miss everyone back home. I hope by now this place feels like yours, that you found a café you love, and that you called Mom more than I have.”

Where to keep it

Paper works: seal it, write the opening date on the envelope, and put a reminder in your calendar. If you'd rather not risk losing it, a digital letter with a delivery date does the remembering for you.

In Louryx, letters to your future self stay sealed until the day you choose; you can't peek early, and you're notified when one opens. They're part of the goal planning features, alongside the Life Wheel.

Questions