A letter to your future self
Write to the person you will be in ten years. Say what today is like, what you hope for, what you are afraid of. On the day, it arrives as if from a stranger who knew you well.
An example
Dear me in ten years,
I hope you still remember what today felt like. It is a Tuesday, it rained all morning, and I am writing this at the kitchen table with a cold cup of tea. Nothing special happened. That is why I want you to have it.
Right now I am worried about money and about whether I chose the right work. I hope by the time you read this those worries have turned into stories you tell. If they have not, that is fine too. You were already doing your best.
Here is what I want to ask you: are you still calling Mum on Sundays? Did you ever learn to swim properly? And whatever happened to the plan about the little house by the water?
With more hope than I let on,
A sample letter. Yours can be three lines or three pages.
When it arrives
The page sets the letter to arrive ten years from today. Change it to one year, five, or any day you choose.
Free up to a year ahead
The lines on this page open in the composer, with the day already set. Nothing is sent until you say so.
What to write
- Describe an ordinary day in detail. The small things are what you will have forgotten.
- Ask yourself three questions. Reading the answers is the best part.
- Write down what you are worried about. It is kinder than it sounds.
How it works
Write it
Start from the lines on this page or from a blank sheet. Add a photo, a recording, a file if you like.
Pick the day
Up to a year ahead is free. Further ahead costs one credit, and a paper letter can go up to a hundred years.
We keep it
Your letter is encrypted and waits for its day. You get a notice when it is delivered, and the reader can write one back.
Questions
How far ahead can a letter to myself go?
Up to a year ahead is free. Further ahead, up to a hundred years, costs one credit. Many people pick five or ten years.
What if my email address changes?
The letter goes to the address on your account. Keep it up to date under Your account, Profile, and we also tell you before a far letter is due.
Can anyone else read it?
No. Your letter is encrypted while it waits, and only you open it on the day.