According to the production team of the Make History website, making family history is two-fold: 1) Make something new that documents, creates, or contributes to your family history, and 2) Make something of yourself that enhances or contributes to your family legacy. Check out these suggestions from the Make History  Website and on the list of fun ideas on The Family History Guide Youth Page.

Y3-16: Send a Letter To Your Future Self

What To Do

 Write a letter to your future self.

How To Do It

Step 1:

Pull out your computer or some pen and paper.

 Step 2:

Pick a time in your future you want to write to. Here are a few ideas:

1, 5, 10, or 25 years from now

When you graduate from high school

When you graduate from college

When you get married

When you have your first child

When you turn a certain age

 Step 3:

Write a letter to yourself answering questions such as these:

Where do you predict you will be at this time?

What do you predict you will be doing in your work, school, and family life?

In what ways do you hope you will be the same?

In what ways do you hope you will be different?

What do you want to learn from now until then?

What advice do you have for your future self?

What family and friends do you hope you are still close to?

What do you want to do with your life from now until then?

What goals do you want to accomplish from now until then?

My greatest example is_________. I hope I can become like them in the following ways….

Ask yourself, “Do you still….?”

I hope I never……

I hope I always….

 Step 4:

Handwritten letters: Seal your letter in an envelope, address it to yourself and mark the date it should be opened.  Put it with your important documents like birth certificate or passport so you don’t lose it.

Electronic Letters: Go to www.futureme.org. Copy your letter into the text box and enter in the date you want your letter emailed to you. On the date you chose futureme.org will email you your letter. It is private so it will be sent only to your email.

Step 5:

When the future date comes, read it!

Example Letter #1

Example Letter #2

How Is This Family History?

By writing a letter to your future self you are looking ahead, setting a path you want to follow, and creating a physical copy of a rroadmap in which you can look back to see how you did.

Y3-17: Send a Letter to Your Past Self  

How To Do It

Step 1:

Pull out your computer or some pen and paper.

 Step 2:

Pick a time in your past you want to write to. Here are a few ideas:

A time when you were going through something difficult

A time when a lot of change was going on in your life

When you graduated middle school, high school, or college

A time when you made a big mistake

A time when you were stressed about something

 Step 3:

Write a letter to your younger self. Start the letter by describing the time in your life you are writing to. How old are you? What was going on in your life at that time? If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you say? Write a few words of advice, caution, or encouragement to your younger self. Here are some fill-in-the-blank sentences you could try:

Don’t worry about_______________(fill in the gap)

You are going to learn _________________ from this.

_______________ is about to change in your life. But it’s okay because__________________.

I know you think _________________, but really __________________.

You won’t know this now but _____________

It’s going to work out because _____________

Be sure to______________________

I wish you hadn’t_________________

I’m glad you _________________

 Step 4:

Put your letter in an envelope and keep it in your journal.

How Is This Family History?

Looking back on one’s life provides insight and understanding. Major companies do this all the time, they call it a “lessons learned” activity. After the company finishes a project, goes through a change, or ends a year, they have their employers write down what they learned. For many of the same reasons, it’s beneficial in the professional world, it is beneficial in one’s personal life. It is a way to reflect on the past and learn how to make the future better and brighter.