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祝你生日快乐！
2015年12月17日，这是认识你的第6个生日，第1863天，祝你生日快乐！
小鱼
2014.02.11
生日快乐
Azhe： 不要害怕每一次前行。 生日快乐，恭喜成年。 爱你的 Azhe
Rosalie
2025.06.03
李
生日快乐 假如你是单身可以领取一个愿望17382787273
黑衣
2022.11.26
写给20岁的自己
今天是2021年 祝两年后的自己20岁生日快乐 顺顺利利 平平安安！！
不知名的陈先生
2021.12.20
露露生日快乐！
柴佳露同志祝你生日快乐第三个年头希望依旧是我只能是我爱你by熊金鹏
熊金鹏
2022.06.07
十七岁的enq
生日快乐呀！你怎么样了呀？他还在吗？他昨天醉了，好可爱呀！心都化了
n7456
2021.10.07
写给100天后的自己
马上过生日了 100天里状态有变化吗？ 是否多了些可以确定的东西？
n3920
2018.12.22
zz
你女朋友生日了，晚上记得去桥上。如果你去桥上了，就说明你是个zz，
未来么
2016.10.19
生日快乐
第二个生日啦 希望以后可以过更多生日 生日快乐 好好学习 生活幸福
n1645
2016.08.22
曾一！Happy birthday！
锵锵锵～！生日祝福送到！我可爱的后桌 我试试能发表情不 只能这样！
906h
2015.12.10
生日快乐啊
hello，来自2023/10/16的张淮序祝你20岁生日快乐！
2788013235
2024.10.16
to霞子
生日粗卡阿米达猜猜我是谁，我特意选的白天，如果你没看到我就气死
n4879
2024.03.02
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