On Your Birthday, Write to Next Year's You
Past a certain age, birthdays get quiet. The cake shrinks, the wishes get practical, and even "happy birthday to me" starts to feel like a formality. But your birthday is still the best day of the year for a conversation with yourself — it's the one milestone that belongs to you alone. More and more people mark it the same way: write a letter to next year's you. What did this year of your life add up to? What did you pull off, what did you fumble, what are you wishing for? Seal it, schedule it for your next birthday, and every year you'll receive a letter from the person you were — a relay race run one year at a time, each age handing off to the next. Keep it up and the letters become a private chronicle only you can fully read; one writer went from twenty to thirty, and those ten letters side by side are more honest than any photo album. Below are birthday letters people chose to share. This year, after the candles, do one more thing: leave a few lines for the you of next year.
Ideas to get you started
- Take stock of the year: one thing you're proud of, one regret, one person you're most grateful for. Those three lines are a snapshot of who you are at this age.
- Make three wishes in writing — one for work, one for the people you love, one just for you. Score yourself when you open it next year.
- Record your current baseline: where you live, who you see most, what's worrying you lately. The changes will surprise you in twelve months.
- Schedule delivery for your next birthday and make it an annual ritual. Delivery within a year is free.
Real letters from the vault
587 public letters8月24
生日快乐，我知道没人会庆祝你的生日，可你自己要对自己好一点。
XLB
Jul 1, 2017 · Traveled 1 month 23 days
未来的你，我在2017年给你写信呢
Dear FutureMe,首先，今天是你的生日，祝你23生日快乐！你在做什么呢，你是否完成了自己现在的理想，还是继续懒惰活在自己的臆想之中，还是你已经向现实妥协了，你知道我希望你是一个理想主义者和行动派，被生活磨去菱角依然坚持自己，如果你还没完成，那么你现在也为时不晚，奋起去做吧，勇敢一点，别像一
李哲翎18580
Jul 7, 2017 · Traveled 1 year 11 months
Photo letter
写给三年后的自己
HELLO！三年后27岁的自己你好！生日快乐！！我是24岁的你，今天是农历二零一七年六月十五日，也是你人生中第二个本命年。小时候的你总是期待着过生日，现在却是越来越害怕过生日，害怕别人说你老了，害怕别人说怎么还没结婚，害怕没人记得你的生日，但又怎么样呢？这一天还不是得成为过去，希望随着岁月你增加的不
CanruoStars
Jul 8, 2017 · Traveled 3 years
Photo letter
这是一封过去的自己寄来的信
希望这封信不会出现在垃圾箱而被未来的自己清理，再此，祝你20岁生日快乐~我想你应该知道你有写日记的习惯，过去的过去的自己也给未来的你发了多少封信呢，可能也被当成垃圾邮件给删掉了吧，虽然有点可惜，不过我想这份心意我们还是可以送到的。一年过去了，离我们的梦想又近了吗？我想至少是不会迷茫了吧，可以的话，真
只是一名游魂
Jul 27, 2017 · Traveled 1 year
圈圈
亲爱的圈圈大宝贝，这里很久很久以前的叉叉给你写的 才不告诉你是啥时候写得呢！ 当你收到这份邮件不出意外应该是2018年的1月7号，是你21岁生日！！激不激动! 惊不惊喜啊！！哈哈哈！宝宝生日快乐！！么么哒！虽然我不知道你会不会看邮件....但能够有一天你会看到的。我不知道未来的我们是什么样子，但一定
叉叉叉叉叉叉叉叉开飞机的叉叉
Jul 28, 2017 · Traveled 5 months 10 days
写给未来的自己
今年的你，是不是有是一个人过生日？那些小学时你放在心上的朋友 还有几个记得你的生日？但是，请你爱自己。如果有记得你生日的人请放他在心上，如果没有，请自己爱自己。 生日快乐，雪悠蓝，生日快乐。yft。
n2259
Aug 3, 2017 · Traveled 9 months 13 days
＜第91天＞走到的每一个地方都幻想着和你一起
今天住进了一个超级美的民宿，有三只猫，有好吃的食物，可以骑车环岛玩，想到你。嗯其实今天超级不开心，因为你再次泼了我冷水，还有点冰心被冻了一会，睡了一觉，听了会歌好一点了，然后又满血复活，死皮赖脸的跑去找你说话又换了一盆新的冷水的 .....没关系啦，要喜欢你这么好的一个人，应该经历点难的 ，心累也没
一只不咬人的文子
Aug 14, 2017 · Traveled 2 months 29 days
Photo letter
＜第90天＞下了一天雨，因为我想大水怪了吗？
想看蓝蓝的海 结果岛上下了一整天雨骑了摩托车10公里 一边淋着雨一边走 快要累死 晚上洗澡 洗着洗着没了热水 满身泡沫 绝望现在全身发冷 你又像冰块疙瘩一样冻我 心累诶不过我盖被子睡一觉就好了 明天醒来又有十二万分力气去喜欢你 嘿嘿正准备睡了 你又发了个奇怪的朋友圈 不开心的样子 我我我我.....
一只不咬人的文子
Aug 16, 2017 · Traveled 2 months 27 days
Photo letter
你好哇，29岁的我
你好哇，29岁的我： 先祝你生日快乐。 我猜，应该收到我的礼物了。 这几天我一直在想，29岁的我生日那天应该收到什么样的礼物才是最棒的呢。琢磨半天，还是由我送你一副强壮的身体最为有意义，因为这是我20岁开始的时候就希望拥有的，哈哈，终于在2字头的末尾实现了，不过也很棒了，对吧。希望你可以一直保持下去
魏延坤
Aug 18, 2017 · Traveled 1 year 3 months
A letter from my 20th birthday
Hello!Stranger~I konw it`s not inappropriate to call you stranger,sometimes i even don`t know me at all,let alone me after five years.So,the person wr
rosey
Aug 22, 2017 · Traveled 5 years
＜第85天＞值得我骄傲的人，怎么能让我不喜欢
昨天你写了超级棒的文 比起那些情情爱爱 我真的喜欢这样的文太多 当然 这是我写不出来的一类文我突然意识到 喜欢一个人三观正的人是什么样的感觉 很棒 大概就是 我支持 站在你的队伍里 并且往好的方向走去我眼瞎过一次 因为当时太小 因为还没那么懂爱情 因为还不太会看人 但我这次相信 我喜欢的 我选择的
一只不咬人的文子
Aug 24, 2017 · Traveled 2 months 19 days
Photo letter
我爱你犹如你爱我
文涛，祝你生日快乐，生日粗卡哈米达！
wuli纯纯的巧克力牛奶
Aug 24, 2017 · Traveled 5 months 2 days
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to write it on the birthday itself?
No — a few days before or after is fine. What matters is the delivery date: set it to next year's birthday, and the arrival becomes the ritual.
Is this only for writing to myself?
Not at all. Plenty of people write to a friend or partner ahead of time, scheduled to land on that person's birthday — a gift that was prepared with a whole year to spare.
What if I forget to write the next one?
The best moment to write next year's letter is right after opening this year's — the feelings are still warm. That's exactly how long-time users keep the chain going.
On Your Birthday, Write to Next Year's You
Write yours