A letter today for a better tomorrow.

Writing a letter to oneself can be a powerful and therapeutic exercise that allows you to reflect on your goals, accomplishments, and challenges. It can also serve as a reminder of who you are and what's important to you while providing a sense of direction and motivation for your future. Here are the top seven things that letter should contain.

Goals and Aspirations

Start with a list of your hopes and plans. Concentrate on short-term goals, such as joining a friend for exercise or cooking more healthy meals. What behaviors or aspects of your life would you like to see expand over the next six months? Writing everything down will help you clarify what you want to achieve and give you something to work towards.

Accomplishments and Achievements

It's crucial to remember successes. This could include completing a 5K, learning a new skill, or finishing a project. Reflecting on your achievements will help you recognize your progress and give you a sense of pride. It's also a great way to record simple, joyful memories.

Personal Growth and Development

These are the things you've already done to improve yourself. Stop for a minute and think about what's going well. What have you enjoyed? What would you like to see continue? Write down your feelings about the food you're eating. Record what you've done to grow stronger. You may be walking regularly, going to a gym or riding a bike. Document the steps you've taken so far.

Challenges and Setbacks

Don't spend time beating yourself up about what happened, especially if the situation is over. Describe the fears you plan to tackle and what's holding you back. Include things like failing a test, experiencing a personal loss, or facing financial difficulties. The only true failure is a failure to learn from what happened.

Personal Values and Beliefs

Reflecting on your values will help you stay true to yourself and remind you what's important. You might write about your faith, protecting the environment or how you treat others. If you value honesty, what truths are important? If you're passionate about something, what have you done to further that cause? Put in writing your feelings about things like integrity, hard work and compassion.

Gratitude and Appreciation

This is where you get to give thanks for the good things in your life. The love and support of your family and friends, the opportunities you've been given, or just simple pleasures. My friend that worked at a gold mine was grateful when he got an apartment with indoor plumbing. I appreciated getting solid bicycle tires that never deflated. Expressing gratitude can help you recognize what's going right in your life while fostering a sense of contentment and happiness.

Future Plans and Dreams

Finally, it's time to think about the long-term future you want. This could include career goals, major travel plans, or big personal projects. It doesn't have to be life-changing, just things that will take 6-months or more. Whatever those big dreams are, write them down here.

Do this exercise once a year. It can be right before the New Year, on your birthday or on an anniversary. Be consistent and remind yourself to repeat annually.

It doesn't matter if you write it by hand or type it out. I like to put all mine on the computer and spend a couple of days thinking about things, so I don't miss anything. You can write all you want. There isn't a limit, and it's better if your future self gets too much information rather than too little.

Over time these letters to yourself are a valuable insight into your thinking. They can reveal what works for you and what doesn't. They can also remind you of how far you've come and what remains important to you. I keep mine in a binder that's become a time capsule with detailed snapshots of my life.

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1/1/2023