Writing a Letter to Your Future Self

Dear Me?

Have you ever wrote a letter to yourself? What about to yourself in the future? It could be one month, six months, or one year from now! I find both writing and reading these letters when it comes time helps me so much. Check out FutureMe (I receive no commission from FutureMe it is just the letter service that I use). Need some ideas on what to write? Follow the steps below!

Step One

I like to write about what's happened in the last little while. Here is an excerpt from my most recent annual letter for 2022.

"You did a lot of nothing during the beginning of the year after moving cities, the Covid lockdown was in full effect, so you spent most of your time attempting to find a new hobby with no such luck. Some things to avoid as new hobbies are piano, crochet, and painting, as none of these worked out! It was a different year with Covid 19 for so many, but funny enough, your life didn't change too much. You still spend most of your time with your family, after moving so many times most of your friends still live in different cities! You did spend a lot of time outside, though, which is always a good thing."

Step Two

I discuss my health as post-concussion syndrome is a huge part of my life. It often affects how my months go and what I can do, so here are some ideas to focus on:

- Your current symptoms

- Triggers you have become aware of and shouldn't forget

- How you have been feeling mentally

- What you're doing currently to help yourself

From my letter for 2022: "You tried to read, not sure what you were thinking! But you read a book in a day and spent almost two weeks in bed, so don't forget to stick to those audiobooks! Your mental health right now is so good; it's great to feel so light and airy. I really hope you still feel the same when you're reading this. If not, go talk to someone again; there's nothing wrong with talking to a professional! Keep up with Yoga as it's a great way to exercise that doesn't affect your symptoms. You're trying a new supplement regime at the moment with a new doctor, don't be disappointed if it didn't work; you can always try again."

Step Three

I write about what might happen in the next year (or few months) and what I would like to happen.

In the letter I received on New Years it said, "You just started riding again, and I hope you still can. It would be amazing to jump again and compete but don't get your hopes up too high; no reason to be hard on yourself if you can't." I am glad I was so realistic in my letter because I am no longer riding months later as I learned that having none of "the cake" is better for my mental health than having a small piece of it. 

I had also written, "I hope your concussion company has finally been launched; remember getting traction is very difficult, but once you get a following, I know it will continue to grow." It was an excellent reminder for me not to stress about growing Post Concussion Inc as it takes time to create something new. 

In the letter for 2022, I wrote things similar but different! "You just launched the first part of Post Concussion Inc! SO EXCITING! You have so many ideas to grow but make sure to focus on one thing at a time, there's no rush! Don't be so hard on yourself as you grow; you'll make mistakes and have setbacks, and there's nothing wrong with that. You will meet so many people and learn so much from them, it may not have been in the original plan, but it will be such a rewarding career."

Final Step

I love to finish off with a few reminders to keep my mental health up. The most recent letter I received this New Years' had some of the best advice!

Self-control is strength.

Calmness is mastery.

You have to get to the point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else.

Don't allow others to control the direction of your life.

Don't allow emotions to overpower your intelligence.

This year I ended it with "It's 2022, can you believe it! I love you, and never forget to take care of yourself first. Always remember you are more than enough."

I do hope you try this exercise and keep up with it if you have never tried it! It can be done entirely through FutureMe, set anytime frame to receive your letter, and FutureMe will send it right to your email box. 

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One day at a time,
Bella