Write a letter to your future self
A conversation with yourself, across time. You write now, you read it back in 1, 5 or 10 years.
Writing to your future self mostly means keeping a record of what you're going to forget you ever thought. Capsül sends it to your address on the day you choose, anywhere from six months to ten years later, and up to fifty with extensions. What follows covers what to put in it, then shows three very different letters.
New Year's resolutions
Write down your goals. Read them on 31 December. Did you keep your promises?
Personal challenge
"A year from now, I'll have…" Set the challenge and face your future self.
A journal across time
Capture what you're living now. In five years you'll read this page of your life with new eyes.
Advice to yourself
What would you tell yourself in ten years? Write it. Reading it back will surprise you.
What do you put in a letter to yourself?
Your current opinions, especially the ones you're sure about. Everyone thinks of goals. What gets forgotten is what you believed: your view of your job, of the city you live in.
In five years you'll have rewritten all of that without noticing. The letter is your witness.
Write down what worries you, too. Not to frighten yourself later, but to measure the gap between what you dreaded and what actually happened. That gap is often galling. Useful, though.
How long should you wait before it arrives?
Long enough to have changed your mind about something. Six months is enough for a turbulent stretch, a house move or a new job. Five or ten years suit a more substantial letter.
For free, the date can be at most 180 days away. Beyond that, a pack pushes the limit back, and only the Prestige pack takes extension years. On the form, the "Add myself" button puts your address in the recipients.
If you want a step-by-step method, this article has one. And to see what thirty years do to an ordinary object, there's Steve Jobs's mouse.
What does a good letter to your future self look like?
A dated report, with names and numbers. The three letters below have almost nothing in common, and that's deliberate.
Emma, You're 31, you've worked at the building society for six years and you tell everyone it's "just for now". You've been saying that for six years. You think Lisbon is the only city you could live in. You spent four days there, in August, in 39 degrees. You think Mum goes on a bit with her six-minute voice notes. Keep them anyway. I'm just saying. If you're still at the building society, no judgement. Just one question: was it a choice? You, five years ago
Jamie, You said you'd stop answering work emails on Sundays. What day is it today?
Freya, I'm 17 and I'm sure of three things. One: I'll never work in an office. Two: I'm never getting married. Three: Arctic Monkeys are the best band of all time. I'll leave you to tick them off. Freya, Year 13, in a free period at 3pm, instead of revising for English Lit
Common questions
Where do you start with a letter to your future self?
In the present tense, like a report. Describe what you do with your days and what's keeping you up at the moment. Don't give yourself orders: in five years, you'll have no desire to obey the person you are today. Ask them questions instead. They'll have the answers.
How do you send yourself a message for a year from now?
On Capsül, you write the message, then put your own address as the recipient with a date a year away. You need a pack to go beyond 180 days, and the first one covers a full year. You'll get a heads-up email the day before, then the link on the day itself.
What happens if I change my email address in the meantime?
The message goes to the address entered when you sent it, and a sealed capsül can't be edited. So choose an address you'll keep for a long time: a personal one, not your work email. The link still works even if you only find it weeks later, in a folder you'd forgotten about.
How long should you wait before reading a letter to yourself?
A year for a check-in, five to ten years for a letter that will surprise you. Beyond ten years, you'll need the Prestige pack and extension years. The longer the gap, the more useful it is to note down ordinary things, like the price of a coffee or your commute.
Make a date with your future self
It's free. 1 capsül included. Takes 30 seconds.
Write myself a capsül →