I send my future self emails from the present every month. Seeing the nugget in my inbox from old me always makes my moment, so I find it worth the effort for current me.
This month, you do it with me.
Go to FutureMe.Org and write yourself a letter and request delivery whenever you want. The letter can be about anything and everything, as long or as short a time as your fingers feel like typing.
Then put a recurring calendar reminder to do this every month because it’s fun.
My letter to June 1, 2020
June 15, 2019
Hello my angel-faced angel,
Today is your deadline and I’m very curious as to how you did. Did you finish your second book? Is it ready for an editor? Are you crazy super proud of it? Or do you want to throw it at the bottom of a coal mine? How does one get to the bottom of a coal mine?
If you don’t have a good first draft of my second book done and ready for an editor that can tell us how to make it better by now, then it’s time to give up on being a writer and go out into the world and find a real job again. Maybe part-time. Maybe full-time. Perhaps in law. Perhaps in business. Possibly non-profit.
The world is wide open and mine for the taking.
So, I’m very curious as to what’s going on with you right now.
As for me, I’m sitting in my apartment in Denver. It’s sunny out. Life is fairly good. The world feels stable. My brain feels calm. My body feels great. I can’t complain.
Except about dating, which isn’t that fun. Have you met someone yet that you can introduce to your family? Please say yes.
All my love and then some,
Your angel-faced angel
I think I’ll send one to my 2024 self, I think he’ll be more appreciative than 2020 Doug. I do like this idea, it reminds me of a little “What if” scenario I used to play out. What if you had the chance to send ONE thing back in time, say 20 years, but no more than a very small size or only a couple ounces? So you decide to send back a physical letter to yourself. Could you convince your 1990 self it’s legitimate? And what would you share, knowing it could alter your present?
Thanks for the tip on FutureMe.Org. I had never heard of it. I’ll try it. That is one of the reasons I like your blog. It offers access to new things. And I consider myself a life-long learner. Thanks much!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
Ooh, I like the challenge of trying to convince yourself it’s real. I think that would be extremely hard.
Again something I’ve never tried because I did not see of what use it would be. You made me think about it (marking deep thinking on my resolution chart as done for today, thank you).
Never really liked my previous self, he is a lazy procrastinator that needs a kick in the dick to get out of his chair and do things.
But then I realized my previous self has quite high expectations on my future self too, so maybe it’s a way to guilt myself into getting my ass into gear.
I don’t know if I’m coming across as harsh towards myself, but I assure you I only suffer what I know for sure will benefit my future self. No Joel was harmed (long term) during the process.
There’s a fine line between pushing yourself and being nice to yourself. Also a kick in the dick sounds painful, but it rhymes.
I used to do this with the semi-annual teeth cleaning reminder and annual mammogram postcards my doctors’ offices would have me pre-address for the future appointment. Little one-liners, like “did you quit your job yet?”
Aww, I love that idea!
It’s brilliant!
This is gold! Did any of the doctors’ offices say anything to you about it?
I discovered FutureMe while in my first semester of law school. I wrote a letter from my 1L self to my 2L self, and then when I received it in my second year, wrote a letter to my 3L self, etc. A year was enough time that I’d completely forgotten about it by the time it showed up in my inbox. What a wonderful surprise!
The little emails really encouraged me through the slog and uncertainty of that time. Once a month seems like a shorter time than I’d like, but I think have a letter coming sometime next year, and I scheduled one for the approximate time I expect to reach financial independence.
I never remember what my emails say, but I do get a kick out of getting them so frequently. I don’t get them every month because sometimes I send them out farther than a year.
Woot, fellow law schooler! (former)
Not sure I’ve ever mentioned this, but I discovered you and your blog through the ABA magazine article a few years back 🙂 And I am happy I did because you are the single biggest inspiration for my own FIRE journey. You come across as so genuine and honest and relatable.
Don’t you ever grow tired of being the sweetest person alive? 🙂
Nice. I will send a test mail to self for a current future date than a distant one to see what the message/template looks like. That way i don’t delete the future me mail as a spam :).
Reminds of the movie “Knowing” starring Nicholas Cage, where the message is supposed to be opened after 50 years.
that would be so tragic if you deleted your futureme email before reading it thinking it was spam!
Wha?? Are you really thinking about going back to a real job next year? (You’re kinda my inspirational role model for life after retirement.)
It’s more of a deadline for me to finish my book than anything. 🙂 I’m working on it regularly, so I’m hopeful!
Ack, I tried this and now I keep getting emails from Future Me. That dude is a jerk and has revealed his intention to replace Present Me. Send help.
I consider us friends!