About a year and a half ago (or maybe even longer) I learned about a website called futureme.org from a friend and fellow blogger Jackie Lea Sommers. It’s a website where you write emails to yourself in the future and choose the date that you want them to send the email. I’m not a huge user, but when I’m feeling particularly happy or sad or scared or have just made a big decision I try to jot myself a quick note about it. If I’m in an intense writing period, I’ll also send myself what my goal for finishing by that time is and an encouraging message to get back on track if I’ve been slacking off. I honestly should be trying to do it more, because I’m always SO EXCITED when one of the emails I write myself comes through.
Today, I got the loveliest message that I wrote myself exactly a year ago. It said:
Dear FutureMe,
Today you sent in your deposit for The New School. Of course I hope and expect success, an incredible amount of effort, and mostly good things for you (me?). But no matter how the experience has turned out, I want you to be proud of the decision. You made it from a place of bravery, not fear. And even if it doesn’t work out (or doesn’t live up to your expectations) you made the decision by betting on yourself. And that is never the wrong decision.
Keep writing. Keep trying. Keep working towards the dream of being a published writer, whatever stage of the journey you are in.
It will be worth it for you. And more important, you are worth it. You are worthy of the happiness. And the happiness is worth the hard work.
So much self love,
Alison from a year ago
Cue tears and a lot of gratitude for how far I’ve come since last year and the many amazing experiences I’ve had since making that decision to move to New York. Definitely a big motivation to get the most out of the last month of my semester and keep hustling to write something that will be published one day.
Have you ever written yourself a letter or used futureme.org? If not, I definitely recommend you give it a try.
Alison Doherty 
LOVE THIS!
I just wrote a big ol’ letter to myself last night … for a year from now. This site. I tell ya. And isn’t it just SO fun when one shows up in your inbox???
So glad you’re using it. FutureMe is the inspiration for my next novel!
So grateful that you tuned me into the site, because it is so helpful. I am beyond intrigued about your next novel now!
I’ve used this! I learned about it in grad school, when we had an assignment to write to ourselves five years into the future. I cannot wait for it to arrive! Since then though, I like to send myself goal-setting letters too. It’s such a fun and therapeutic way to cheer yourself on!
It was seriously the best surprise today, and came right when I needed it. Such a cool idea to write one for five years in the future.
Now I really want to use that website.