The art of communication has changed over the years and now a lot of it is done electronically, but is there anything better than receiving a handwritten card or letter in the post? There was a recent article in the press about a teacher who got his students, at the age of 14, to write letters to their future selves. These letters included predictions and dreams for their future. Twenty years later, he posted these letters back to all of the students that he was able to track down.

Can you remember what your dreams were for your older self? Have you changed? Did you reach your goals, or create brand new ones you never would have been able to think of when you were young?

Writing to your future self can be a fun exercise, and when you read the letter however many years down the line, it can bring back wonderful memories. If you were writing at a time when things were tough, reading the letter in the future can help you to realise the better place you have arrived at.

We have to be realistic as well. None of us knows what the years ahead have in store. The written word can live on for us, and help us to be remembered. It can also give our loved ones strength after we are gone. One example of how the written word can live on is in this lovely story of a woman who left a written message for her husband to receive after she had died. See more here, with many more stories online.

If you write a diary,  that can be a great way to check in with your present self, and you can compare different stages in your life. Even if you just note appointments, or make brief comments about what you have been doing, or places you have been to, it can be worth doing. The important thing to remember is that we can continue to go forward in one way or another, and goals can continue to be set, no matter how small.

So, go for it, get writing today!