How Writing a Letter to Your Future Self Can Help You Achieve Your Goals as a Student?

Have you ever wondered what your future self would say to you if you could meet them? Would they be proud of your achievements, or disappointed by your choices? Would they have any advice or encouragement for you?.

One way to find out is to write a letter to your future self. This is a powerful practice that invites self-reflection, goal-setting, and personal growth. It allows you to capture the essence of who you are today and provides a glimpse into the person you aspire to become¹.

Writing a letter to your future self can also help you as a student in many ways. Here are some of the benefits of this exercise:

• It helps you clarify your goals and priorities. As a student, you may have many academic, personal, and professional goals that you want to achieve. Writing them down in a letter can help you focus on what matters most to you and how you plan to accomplish them. You can also include specific steps or strategies that you will use to reach your goals.
• It boosts your motivation and confidence. Writing a letter to your future self can also inspire you to work harder and smarter towards your goals. You can imagine how good it will feel to read your letter in the future and see how far you have come. You can also remind yourself of your strengths, skills, and talents that will help you overcome any challenges or obstacles along the way.
• It enhances your self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Writing a letter to your future self can also help you understand yourself better and improve your emotional well-being. You can express your feelings, thoughts, and opinions about various aspects of your life, such as your relationships, hobbies, values, and beliefs. You can also acknowledge your mistakes, regrets, or fears and learn from them.
• It fosters a growth mindset and a positive attitude. Writing a letter to your future self can also help you develop a growth mindset and a positive attitude towards learning and life. You can recognize that you are not a fixed entity, but a dynamic and evolving one. You can embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement. You can also celebrate your successes and appreciate your progress.

How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Writing a letter to your future self is not difficult, but it does require some planning and preparation. Here are some steps that you can follow:

1. Decide how far into the future you want to read your letter. With any letter, your content depends on the recipient. The content of your letter to your future self might change depending on whether you’re writing for someone three months or three years into the future². You can choose any time frame that suits your purpose and preference, but make sure it is realistic and meaningful for you.

2. Choose a format and medium for your letter. You can write your letter by hand or type it on a computer. You can also use an online service or an app that will send you your letter at a specified date in the future¹. Whichever format or medium you choose, make sure it is safe and accessible for you when the time comes to read it.

3. Write an introduction that addresses your future self. Start your letter by greeting your future self and introducing yourself as their past self. You can mention some basic information about yourself, such as your name, age, location, occupation, or hobbies. You can also explain why you are writing this letter and what you hope to achieve by doing so.

4. Write the main body of your letter that covers your goals and reflections. This is the most important part of your letter, where you share your goals and reflections with your future self. You can organize this section into different paragraphs or topics, such as:

   • Your academic goals: What do you want to learn or achieve as a student? What courses do you want to take or excel at? What skills do you want to develop or improve? How do you plan to study or prepare for exams?
   • Your personal goals: What do you want to do or experience in your personal life? What hobbies do you want to pursue or enjoy? What relationships do you want to build or maintain? How do you take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally?
   • Your professional goals: What do you want to do or achieve in your career? What field or industry do you want to work in? What role or position do you want to have? How do you network or market yourself?
   • Your reflections: How do you feel about yourself and your life right now? What are some of the highlights or challenges that you have faced or overcome? What are some of the lessons or insights that you have learned or gained? What are some of the questions or doubts that you have or face?

5. Write a conclusion that summarizes your letter and expresses gratitude. End your letter by summarizing the main points of your letter and expressing gratitude to yourself for writing it. You can also include some words of encouragement or advice for yourself in the future³. You can also sign off with a closing remark and signature.

An Example of a Letter to Your Future Self

Here is an example of how a letter to one’s future self might look like:

Dear Future Me,

Hello! This is Past Me writing this letter on May 29th 2023. I am currently 18 years old and studying at XYZ University in India. I am writing this letter because I want to capture who I am today and communicate with who I will be in one year from now.

My main goal as a student is to graduate with honors from my bachelor’s degree in computer science. I want to learn as much as I can about programming, artificial intelligence, and data science. I also want to improve my communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. To achieve this goal, I plan to attend all my classes regularly, complete all my assignments on time, participate actively in group projects and presentations, seek feedback from my professors and peers, and join some extracurricular clubs and activities related to my field of interest.

My personal goal is to travel more and explore different cultures and places around the world. I want to visit at least three new countries in the next year: Japan, France, and Brazil. I also want to make new friends from different backgrounds and perspectives. To achieve this goal, I plan to save money from my part-time job as a tutor, apply for scholarships or grants for international students, research about the destinations that I want to visit, book my flights and accommodations in advance, join some online communities or forums for travelers, and be open-minded and respectful towards others.

My professional goal is to land an internship at a reputable tech company like Google or Microsoft. I want to gain some hands-on experience in working on real-world projects that solve real-world problems using cutting-edge technologies. I also want to network with some mentors and role models who can guide me in my career path. To achieve this goal, I plan to update my resume and portfolio with my latest projects and achievements, prepare for coding interviews by practicing online platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank, research about the companies that I want to apply for, send out personalized cover letters and follow-up emails, and attend some career fairs or events where I can meet potential employers or recruiters.

I feel excited and optimistic about myself and my life right now. Some of the highlights that I have experienced or achieved in the past year are:

• Winning first place in a national coding competition with my team
• Getting accepted into my dream university with a full scholarship
• Celebrating my 18th birthday with my family and friends

Some of the challenges that I have faced or overcome in the past year are:

• Dealing with stress and anxiety due to the pandemic and online learning
• Breaking up with my girlfriend of two years
• Losing my grandfather to cancer

Some of the lessons or insights that I have learned or gained in the past year are:

• Life is unpredictable and precious, so make the most of every moment and opportunity.
• Failure is not fatal, but feedback, so learn from every mistake and grow from every setback.
• Happiness is not dependent on external factors, but internal ones, so choose gratitude over complaint, and positivity over negativity.

Some of the questions or doubts that I have or face in the past year are:

• Am I good enough? Am I smart enough? Am I worthy enough?
• Am I making the right decisions? Am I following the right path? Am I fulfilling my potential?
• Am I living authentically? Am I being true to myself? Am I expressing myself fully?

I hope that by reading this letter, you will be able to answer these questions confidently, and affirm yourself positively.

I am grateful for writing this letter, because it has helped me reflect on myself, and connect with myself. I hope that when you read this letter, you will feel proud of yourself, and happy with yourself.

I encourage you to keep pursuing your goals, and keep growing as a person. I also advise you to take care of yourself, and take time for yourself.

You are amazing, you are capable, you are valuable.