Future journaling is a little-known but powerful self-help technique that can help with many personal problems, from depression to deciding what you want to do with your life. It has all the advantages and benefits of regular journaling but also comes with some of its own.

First, though, what exactly is future journaling? It might sound like something you intend to do in the future -i.e., you pencil in three o’clock next Wednesday for a journaling session and plan to keep that up for the next several months.

It’s not, however. The difference between regular and future journaling is the direction and object of the journaling. Rather than being in a conversation with yourself at the present moment, as is typically the case with journaling, it’s a conversation with your future self.

The thought of writing to yourself in the future might seem weird at first, and it can be awkward when you first start, but the object is to help your future and present selves by holding this conversation over things that you want, how you act, what you’re going to do, etc.

Think of future journaling as conversing with a close confidant -the most intimate possible. In your forthcoming journal, you’re writing a letter to your dearest friend, someone you can be completely honest with, who will understand your struggles and desires and know precisely what your difficulties are. And who won’t judge you?

These letters can be on any subject you like. It’s an excellent way to help manifest your dreams and goals into reality by talking to yourself about what you need to do to get there and holding yourself accountable.

Future journaling is also a good way to work through problems in your present life. Depressed? Anxious? Having trouble working through issues? Write a letter to the version of yourself that’s already conquered these problems.

You can also use future journaling to describe how you want your life to be when the future arrives and your current struggles are behind you. What do you want a day in your life to look like ten or fifteen years from now? Or even next year? It is one of the most popular forms of future journaling.

Finally, you can use future journaling to catalog and list goals you want your future self to have accomplished. Or you can do all of the above. How you do future journaling is up to you!

Until next time, please stay safe, and keep the faith.