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.

How to write this letter

  • 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

632 public letters
9y 简体中文

写给未来的自己

你好!根据我在电脑上设定的发送时间,你收到这封信时,应该刚好是你33岁的生日。首先祝你生日快乐。过去的我非常迷茫,根本不知道要干些什么,没有梦想,没有目标,不知道我还能怎么办,希望10年后的你请不要浪费你自己的时光,因为你那时候可能已经有了一个美好的家庭,我不知道未来会发生怎样的

n5316 2020.11.18
Delivered 简体中文

给董春燕的一封信

燕,也不知道你能不能看到了,或许吧。 也许你看到这封信的时候,早已很幸福了吧,可能已经有了一个很爱很爱你的男朋友,也可能依然独自一人。我想说,我很想你,至少今天是这样的,2018年5月5日。 我其实挺后悔的,对你做的那些事,如果的话,结果可能就不一样了。我很抱歉,但好像已经晚了。

一个两个 2018.05.05
1y 简体中文

给一年后小乔的一封信

hihi 小乔,我是26岁的你,搬进新家一切都特别舒适,这学期你特别特别忙,从九月开学就脚不沾地,经常焦虑,不过你还是做得很棒哟,而且经常陪伴爸爸妈妈,工作生活协调的很好。准备备孕啦,但是还是很多忧虑,压力很大。2025.10.19的我准备和妈妈去植物园看秋景,爸爸去出差小祝在工

n2440 2025.10.19
Delivered 简体中文

林晗!

生日快乐!我是林晗,2018/4/13的金彤。我写这封信,想鼓励自己啊 初三的寒假真的很可怕呢 是不是被繁重的学业压倒了呢?你还有在画画吗?好像知道我是不是进步很大啊……算了 你要认真学习!你一模考完了吧?希望不要太差……!!!!我现在很努力,快要期中考试了,我成绩感觉不行,这几

林晗_ikun 2018.04.13
1y

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO AAAAAA!

Bonan Naskigxtagon!OK so now its your birthday my pal!First Happy Birthday!This letter (or rather a email) comes from May 9th, 2026Now it sh

llexaiu 2026.05.09
不知你还记得你的目标
Delivered
简体中文

不知你还记得你的目标

不知你是否过着你自己愿意过的日子,希望是这样,生日刚过,晚来的祝福,爱你!我希望你现在每天开开心心,还记得外婆现在的时候是生病的时候,你希望自己可以找到治愈肿瘤的药物,你昨天刚看到胰岛素发明者的经历,人生不会穷一辈子,总会穷一阵子,这些都是财富,加油!多翻翻最先进的外文文献,有很

时光下的脚步 2015.03.19
Delivered 简体中文

给未来的自己

嘿,你还好吗?今天是你生日哦!祝你生日快乐!5年后的过的怎样了?哈哈哈,我猜你看到这个的时候肯定会很懵,那么念旧的人,还在为以前的事情耿耿于怀吗?还是一如既往对自己所做的事情没信心吗?还是那么任性吗......,你应该已经结婚了吧,我答应过自己27岁之前结婚的,我想你不会食言的吧

用户7392830606 2020.11.28
Delivered 简体中文

亲爱的自己,祝你18岁生日快乐。

一直想给自己写点东西。但一直不知道该怎么写,还好发现了这个网站,今天就来给一年后十八岁成年的自己写封信。现在是2013年7月7日,其实这封信应该是在两个月前的17岁生日上写的,但因为那时候没听说过这个网站,所以就一直推,推到了现在,还好,还不算晚。明年的5月9日,农历3月22日,

婷儿 2013.07.07
Delivered 简体中文

老公,生日快乐

亲爱的老公:再过几天就是你的生日了,在这里我提前祝你生日快乐、身体健康、开心快乐每一天!很高兴能通过这种方式给你写信,从结婚到现在有很多话想对你,但不知从何说起,今天我就简单的说几句,很感谢你这几年对我的关心与照顾,我这人脾气性格有时候有点古怪,而你总是包容我的坏脾气,每次说完你

刘洋 2014.10.07
Delivered 简体中文

大果果,生日快乐

小果果呀,生日快乐,明天放假啦,你要干什么呀?现在长大了吧,课程应该快学完了吧,感觉怎么样呢?跟父神的关系怎么样呢?还是一个人吗?现在呢,是2019年11月29日,今天来大姨妈啦,体重114,皮肤很好。学习话语大概两个月,还有胆怯,不敢练讲的灵,跟别人交流还是有点羞涩,紧张。今天

n4588 2019.11.29
Delivered 简体中文

祝自己生日快乐

逗逼 今天是你的生日  今天你一定要把所有的烦恼都抛到脑后 然后开开心心的过完今天  而今天你也长大了一岁 应该要更成熟的  不要太为那些小事情而烦恼  以后要每一天开开心心的    就算以后剩下自己一个人也要开开心心的  要为了自己的理想去奋斗 去努力  不要因为谁而去改变自己

ParTing 2015.10.07
婕兒
Delivered
简体中文

婕兒

亲爱的你生日快乐啊,现在过得怎么样了啊,有没有还那么不开心啊?好啦大一岁啦大个女啦,唔好再甘啦,你要放过你自己,过去已经过去了不必再为过去而痛苦难受现在你要为你的将来打算,对你自己好点啦傻妞,你是一个爱笑的人希望你能做回爱笑的你珍惜身边为你付出的人其实都不容易的包容着你,你要珍惜

_婕鱼 2016.12.10

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

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