As we are upon the beginning edges of the new year, there’s often pressure to make big declarations. Goals. Plans. Resolutions.
But instead of asking “What are my goals for this year?” I want to ask a gentler, more grounding question:
Where do you want to be six months from now?
Not just in what you’ve accomplished — but in how you feel.
More rooted?
Less hurried?
More attuned to God’s presence in your everyday life?
Sometimes clarity doesn’t come from striving harder, but from slowing down long enough to listen.
Writing to Your Future Self
One reflective practice I’ve found meaningful is writing a letter to my future self.
There’s a free website called futureme.org that allows you to write an email now and schedule it to be delivered to you at a date you choose — six months from now, one year from now, or further into the future.
This practice shifts the focus from pressure to presence. It invites you to speak to the person you are becoming with compassion instead of expectation.
When the Letter Comes from a Deeper Place
During last year’s Awaken Silent Retreat, Danielle, the host, handed out index cards at the end of that last day and asked us to write a letter to ourselves as if our Heavenly Father were writing it to us.
She prompted us with these questions:
- What does He want to share with you?
- What does He want you to remember from this silent retreat?
There’s something profoundly grounding about imagining God’s voice not as demanding or disappointed, but as loving, steady, and near.
After we wrote those letters, we sealed them into an envelope, addressed them to our home addresses, and handed them into Danielle. About 6 weeks later, the letter I wrote was delivered to my mailbox.
When I opened it, I knew what it was but could not remember what I had written. Here’s an excerpt:
(You may want to read this slowly.)
Dear Carlynn,
Remember me in the awakening in the silence weekend. In the hurry and in the noise, remember me. Hold me close and tight. That’s the way I hold you. I am never far. I walk beside you. Quiet your mind. Quiet the falsehoods the enemy throws at you. Come to me for truth. Look up. Keep seeking my face when lies creep in. I am your source of truth.
Love,
Your Heavenly Father
Prompts for Your Own Letter
If you decide to email to your future self at futureme.org — or write a letter as if God were speaking to you — here are a few prompts to guide you:
- What do you want your future self to remember that you know will get lost in the chaos of the year?
- What’s important to you right now? Why?
- What are your goals? Where do you see yourself 6 months from now? How does it feel?
- If you were having a conversation with God, how does He see you? What does He want you to remember?
- What does He want you to release?
- What does He want you to trust?
- How does He invite you to walk into the next season?
You don’t need perfect words. You just need honesty and openness.
A Gentle Invitation
This kind of reflection — slowing down, listening, and responding — is at the heart of the work I care most about. It’s the kind of space I hope to continue creating here through writing, and eventually through coaching: a place to reflect, discern, and move forward with intention rather than urgency.
You don’t have to rush your growth. You don’t have to have everything figured out.
Six months from now — or one year from now — you may be surprised by what has quietly taken root simply because you chose to pause, listen, and take one faithful step at a time.
I’m excited to share with you a journal entry that I wrote several months ago. I’m also fiercely excited to share with you how I came to write this journal entry. I have been a part of a group called