“Dear me, I am writing this letter to remind you of the most important things. Essential plans: to fold the best in the world paper airplane, jump in the paddles, run up the down escalator, kiss a prince…” (1) This is a part of a letter that a seven-year-old Margarette sent to her future self. Now she’s a successful businesswoman in her early forties. She is not happily jumping in puddles of water, because there is not a minute in her schedule that is not planned.
Think about how powerful it might have been when she read this letter back to her future self. It could be a reminder of who she was versus who she wanted to be. It would be a little kick in the butt to make sure that she was heading in that direction and in order to limit life’s biggest regrets.
Is there anything you want to always remember? Why would you write a letter to your future self? Does it seem silly and childish? Actually, this exercise can bring much value to your life — I know it did for myself. And that’s why writing a letter to your future self is a great bucket list idea.
Want to Know Yourself Better? Then Write a Letter to Your Future Self.
Why is it 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 essential questions and see if you are moving in the right direction.
- Self-reflection. Most really prominent and successful people had a journal. They engaged in self-reflection a lot, drew conclusions, and changed 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. To 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 Yourself
You would like to write a letter to your future self, but don’t know where to start? Let’s break it into steps:
1. Ask Yourself Some Questions
- 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?
2. 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 to Change 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.
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.
‘Till next blog …Healthy and Blessed Summer
Xoxo. . .
