🎯 The Future Self Letter
Read time: 3.9 minutes
Welcome to Better at Life, the weekly newsletter where I share one simple, actionable idea you can put into practice today to build better habits, sharpen your mindset, and live with more intention.
I’ve noticed that I’m pretty good at giving other people advice. When someone else is stuck, the situation often seems clear:
You should have the conversation.
Stop worrying about that.
Take the opportunity.
Give it more time.
But when it’s my own life, things get messier. Suddenly, there are seventeen variables to consider, and I can overthink a decision that would seem obvious if someone else were making it.
That’s because it’s hard to have perspective when you’re standing in the middle of your own life.
So here’s an experiment I’ve found useful.
Imagine yourself three years from now.
Not twenty. Not some perfect future version of yourself living on a beach with no email. Just you, three years older and a little wiser, with the benefit of knowing how some of today’s decisions turned out.
Now imagine that person could write you a letter.
What would they say?
I call this The Future Self Letter: a simple way to borrow perspective from the person who will eventually live with the choices you’re making today.
Write this down:
Sometimes the best advice comes from the person who has to live with today’s decisions.
This Week’s Action
Take ten minutes and write a short letter from yourself three years in the future.
Start with:
“Here’s what I wish you knew right now…”
Then keep writing. If you get stuck, answer a few questions:
What am I worrying about today that won’t matter?
What should I stop postponing?
What am I doing now that I should keep doing?
Who should I spend more time with?
What decision do I already know I need to make?
What will I wish I had started sooner?
Don’t try to predict exactly what your life will look like. That’s not the point. You’re looking for perspective, not prophecy.
Why This Works
Distance changes how we see problems. Today’s frustrations feel urgent because we’re inside them, while your future self has a wider view.
That perspective helps separate what feels important right now from what will actually matter over time. It can also expose something uncomfortable: sometimes we already know what we should do. We just need enough distance to admit it.
Try This
A few weeks ago, we used The Drift Test to ask:
If I keep living exactly like this, where will I end up?
The Future Self Letter flips the question:
If I become the person I want to become, what would that person tell me today?
Then listen to the answer.
Maybe they’d tell you to start, stop, worry less, or enjoy what’s already here.
Weekly Reflection
Before you move on from this email, pause for a moment and ask yourself:
What will matter three years from now?
What probably won’t?
What would my future self thank me for doing this week?
Write it down, then do one thing your future self will be glad you did.
If this idea feels useful, feel free to pass it along to someone who might need it.
You don’t need to know exactly where your life is going, but it helps to occasionally take advice from the person who will eventually get there.
See you next week — a little better at life.
______
Dr. Chris Mullen
Bring Better at Life to Your Organization
If these ideas resonate, this is also the work I bring into organizations and leadership teams.
I partner with organizations that want clearer thinking, stronger decision-making, and more sustainable performance.
Engagements typically include:
- Keynote speaking for conferences and leadership events
- Leadership development workshops for teams and managers
- Team strategy sessions focused on alignment and execution
For senior leaders seeking deeper application, I also maintain a small executive coaching practice.
