college essay letter to future self

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

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Goal-setting

How writing down your goals literally helps you achieve them

Set yourself up for success by writing the way ahead.

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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."

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Education and Communications

How to Start a Letter to Your Future Self: What to Say & Include

Last Updated: September 12, 2024 Fact Checked

Talking About Who You Are Now

Speaking to your future self.

Sealing & Storing the Letter
Benefits of Writing to Your Future Self
Sample Letters

Expert Interview

Expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Celena Hathaway and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA . 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. 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 527,513 times.

Writing a letter to yourself is like jumping into a time capsule and mailing yourself to the future. It can help you sort out your thoughts, discover more about yourself, and remind yourself of memories you may have forgotten years from now. It’s fun and easy, and there aren’t really any rules, but we chatted with English teacher Celena Hathaway to make a helpful guide for how to talk about yourself in the letter, talk to your future self, and how to seal and send it.

What to Include in a Letter to Your Future Self

Summarize yourself in the present. Who are you? What do you enjoy doing? What are your beliefs and values?
Make goals for yourself. Is there a bad habit you want to quit? How do you want to improve yourself? What's something you've always wanted to do?
Ask your future self questions. Do you like your job? Are you in love? Have you realized your dreams? Are you happy?

Step 1 Start by deciding when you want your future self to read the letter.

You may want to choose an age that puts you in different circumstances than you are currently in, like 5 years from now.
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.

Step 2 Keep your letter casual and loose.

When talking about your current self in this letter, use “I” language. When talking about your future self in this letter, use “you” language.
Or, refer to yourself in the third person to make this more of an exercise in self-reflection. This helps you talk about yourself more objectively.

Step 3 Tell your future self about your current situation.

In addition, write about books or movies you like and why, your favorite objects, your current hobbies, or anything else that you tend to enjoy.
Note any important life events. Did you just move recently, or will you in the future? Are you graduating? Are you in a relationship?

Have you done something you're ashamed of but can’t tell anyone else about? Do you struggle with certain vices or bad habits?
Remember, your future self is your greatest ally! They’re a smarter, more experienced version of you, so don’t hesitate to get intimate or deep with what you say. Your secrets are safe with you.

Step 5 Identify your key values and beliefs.

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.

Step 6 Mention your skills and abilities.

Do you want to start a family? What sort of career do you want? Are there new hobbies or interests you hope you’ll take up?
What changes do you want to see to society when you read your letter? What do you think the future will look like?

Do you enjoy your job, or school?
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?

Step 2 Add things you want to stop, continue, and start doing.

Don’t worry too much about whether or not you’ll actually accomplish them. Even if you don’t, your future self will have plenty of other accomplishments to feel good about.

Writing your advice down also helps the present version of yourself follow it!

Sealing and Storing a Letter to Your Future Self

Step 1 Seal the letter in an envelope to keep it hidden.

Write the date of when you want to open the letter on the envelope so you know when to look at it.

Step 2 Store the letter in a safe, dry place.

Or, put the letter in a filing cabinet or box with other important documents. That way, you’ll find it in the future when you’re going through your things.
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 also give the letter to a trusted friend or family member who can actually mail it to you in the future.

Step 3 Or, use technology to send your letter.

You might consider using a digital calendar (like Google Calendars), or note-taking software (like Evernote ).

Benefits of Writing a Letter to Your Future Self

Step 1 You’ll see how much you’ve grown.

Sample Letter and Things to Include and Avoid

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://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassionate_letter
↑ https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/want-to-improve-your-life-write-yourself-a-letter.html
↑ https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/therapeutic-benefits-of-writing-letters

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