How to write a letter to your future self (and why you should write the reply too)

Writing a letter to yourself feels a little odd at first. Who exactly are you writing to? Someone you have not met yet, who is also you. That is the whole point. For twenty minutes you treat your future self as a real person with a real life.

Below you will find a template, a sample letter, and a twist most people skip: the reply, written by your future self back to you.

Why writing to your future self works

Research led by psychologist Hal Hershfield shows that many people feel only loosely connected to who they will be. That later self stays abstract, almost like a stranger. People who feel closer to their future self tend to make more future-minded choices. Our guide to the future self covers that research.

A letter is a simple way to build that closeness. In one study from Japan, university students wrote a letter to themselves 20 years in the future, then wrote a reply from that future self. Afterward they felt more connected to their future selves and engaged more with career planning than a comparison group (Chishima & Wilson, 2021). It is a single study with students, so it does not prove everything. But it fits what we know about vivid images of the future.

Letter to your future self template

Give yourself 20 minutes and a sheet of paper or a blank doc. First decide who you are writing to: you in one year, five years, or ten. Then work through these parts.

1. Greeting and date. "Dear [your name] in 2031, today is November 8, 2026..."
2. Where you are right now. Where you live, what you do, what an ordinary day looks like. Small details are gold: the song you keep replaying, what is in your fridge, what annoyed you this week.
3. What is on your mind. Worries, questions, decisions coming up.
4. What you hope for. What you wish for your future self. Feelings, not just goals: "I hope you are calmer about money."
5. Questions. What do you want to know? "Did you find the courage to...?" "Is family still the center of everything?"
6. A promise. One small, concrete thing you will start doing for your future self.
7. A warm sign-off. You are writing to someone you care about.

Sample letter (excerpt)

Dear Jordan in 2031,

It is a gray Sunday and I am at the kitchen table in the tiny apartment in Denver. I am 29 and pretty worn out by my job. I keep wondering whether I will ever be brave enough to go freelance as an illustrator.

I hope you draw every day. I hope you have stopped comparing yourself to everyone online. And I hope you still call Grandma every Sunday.

What I want to know: was it worth giving up weekends for the portfolio? Are you happy?

My promise: starting tomorrow, I draw for 15 minutes every morning before I look at my phone.

Love, Jordan

The stronger version: a letter from your future self

Now flip it. You write as yourself five years from now, to the you of today, answering the questions from your first letter. This is really a visualization on paper. You have to step into that future life just to be able to answer.

How to do it

1. Settle in. Sit quietly and let out a few slow breaths. Imagine you are five years older. Where are you sitting? What do you see out the window?
2. First person, present tense for the future life. "I'm on my porch, it's June, and the kids are playing in the yard."
3. Answer the questions. Honestly, kindly, specifically. What worked, what did not, and what did you learn?
4. Describe how it feels. Not just what is true, but what it is like to live that way.
5. Give one piece of advice. What should today's you do this week? One step is enough.

Example (excerpt)

Dear Jordan,

I'm writing from my studio, which is honestly just a converted spare room. The light comes in sideways across the desk. It smells like coffee and paper.

Yes, it was worth it. Not every weekend, but the portfolio landed my first three clients. I still compare myself sometimes, but it stings a lot less.

My advice for this week: send the two drawings you think are not good enough to that agency. I know exactly how that feels. Send them anyway.

People are often surprised by how easily the reply comes once the questions are on paper, and how kind it tends to be. If you want to hear that voice more often, you can turn it into a daily habit with future self journaling.

Good occasions for a letter

• Your birthday. One letter a year to next year's you. Over time it becomes a small record of your life.
• New Year's. Instead of resolutions, a letter that asks how you want the coming year to feel.
• Before a big change. A move, a new job, a breakup, starting school. Transitions are the perfect moment to capture who you were and who you want to be. More on that in our guide on how to change your life.
• After a hard year. A letter telling your future self what you made it through can be comforting, both to write and to read.

When should you open the letter?

• One year. Good for specific plans. Set a calendar reminder or write the open date on the envelope.
• Five years. Fascinating for big life decisions. Store it with important papers so it does not get lost.
• The reply letter. Read the letter from your future self often, for example at the start of each month. It works more like a compass than a time capsule.

Common sticking points

What if I go blank? Start with today. What did you eat, who did you see? The bigger stuff tends to surface once you are writing.

What if it gets emotional? Let it. Letters to your future self often hit hard because they show you what you actually care about. Be gentle with yourself.

Should I lock everything in? No. The letter is not a contract, it is a conversation. If you want a clearer direction for your life overall, our guide on how to create a life vision can help.

The bottom line

A letter to your future self costs twenty minutes and a sheet of paper. It records who you are today and makes the person you want to become feel tangible. The reply goes further. It lets you experience your future life from the inside for a moment, much like scripting, and it ends with one step you can take this week.