What if you could capture your motivation at its peak and have it delivered back to you exactly when you need it most? That's the idea behind sending emails to your future self - you write a message today, and it gets delivered to your inbox 30 days later, often arriving just when your initial enthusiasm is wearing off.
Most goals fail not because they're impossible, but because the initial excitement wears off and you forget why you cared in the first place. Writing to your future self is one way to capture that early motivation before it disappears.
When you start something new, the reasons feel obvious and compelling. You're frustrated with your current situation, excited about possibilities, or determined to prove something to yourself. But motivation is temporary, and after a few weeks of ordinary effort, it's easy to forget what drove you to start.
This is where most goal-setting advice falls short. It focuses on systems and habits, which are important, but doesn't address the fundamental question of why you should bother when things get difficult.
The concept is straightforward: when you're excited about a new project or goal, you write an email explaining why it matters to you right now. This gets delivered to you a month later, usually around the time when initial enthusiasm has worn off.
You're not trying to predict future problems or provide solutions. You're simply documenting your current thinking while it's fresh and genuine.
Your specific reasons. Not generic benefits like "it's good for me," but your actual motivations. Maybe you're tired of feeling stuck in your current role, want to prove something to yourself, or have a specific vision of what success would look like.
What you're willing to sacrifice. When motivation is high, you can see clearly what you're prepared to give up. Maybe it's Netflix time, weekend sleep-ins, or saying no to certain social events. Document these trade-offs while they feel reasonable.
Obstacles you expect. You probably already know what's likely to derail you - lack of time, competing priorities, or specific challenges related to your goal. Acknowledge these honestly rather than pretending they won't happen.
Why it's worth the difficulty. Every meaningful goal involves discomfort. While you're feeling determined, explain to your future self why this particular discomfort is worthwhile.
The timing often works out well by accident. A month is roughly how long it takes for initial excitement to fade and reality to set in. Many people report receiving their email just as they're questioning whether to continue.
The message cuts through rationalisations because it comes from you, not someone else's idea of what you should want. Your past self already anticipated the exact doubts you're having and explained why they decided those doubts weren't sufficient reasons to quit.
This works for some people as a form of accountability, but it's not magic. If your goal was unrealistic or your circumstances have genuinely changed, an email from past-you won't fix that.
What it can do is remind you of your original reasoning when you're in the middle of the messy reality of working toward something. It's particularly useful for goals that take months rather than weeks, where daily motivation naturally fluctuates.
The practice tends to work better for people who are generally good at following through but sometimes lose sight of their bigger picture. If you struggle with basic habit formation or have other barriers to goal achievement, an email alone won't solve those issues.
Not every goal deserves to be pursued for months. Sometimes losing motivation is your brain telling you that this particular goal isn't worth the effort, or that your priorities have legitimately shifted.
A good future-self email acknowledges this possibility. Instead of just cheerleading, it might include something like: "If you're reading this and the goal no longer makes sense, that's okay too. But if you're just tired or discouraged, here's why we thought it was worth pushing through..."
This keeps the message honest rather than forcing you to continue something that's no longer relevant.
Send an email to hello@dearme.email and we'll deliver it back to you in 30 days.
Send an email to future me