I went to see my family for a couple of days last week, a successful attempt at regrounding myself after being in Tampa for a couple of months. During this time, I decided to go through an old box in my closet and stumbled upon a letter I wrote to myself in the ninth grade.
Obviously curious, I opened it up and read it. To my surprise, almost everything in that letter was either no longer a thought or something I simply didn’t want anymore. The people I talked about being in my wedding I haven’t spoken to in years, the problems I faced were completely different, and most importantly, who I eventually wanted to become had changed dramatically.
I think when you’re younger you have this idolized version of yourself that caters to what you’re specifically dealing with at that moment. For example, I wrote, “I hope you start adjusting to high school and get a good grade in algebra two”. At the time, it was one of the biggest things I was going through. But in the grand scheme of things, it was so minor in comparison to the actualities of adulthood.
Mirroring that, I still think it’s so important to track little milestones in your life and hold yourself to high expectations, so you’ll eventually become that person you’re writing about. Now being a sophomore in college– my priorities, friends, dreams, and other aspirations are completely different from what the shy and insecure 14-year-old me had in mind.
Even though my letter might have been completely different than what actually happened, I still think it’s something interesting to look back on. Interestingly enough, I decided to write a whole new one for when I graduated college with new goals, friends, aspirations, and who I actually hoped to become when I leave school. It was quite liberating.
I feel like it allowed me to come to terms with who I am and what my long-term goal mentally, emotionally, and physically would be. I had so much fun writing about something that I could share with my future self and look back on to laugh or cry in awe that my mindset had changed so much.
If you have some extra time on your hands and want to write a letter to future, past, or even present you, I think it could be very eye-opening and beneficial. You’d be writing down what you hope to accomplish and who you can see yourself eventually becoming. You never know what can happen in a matter of time!