{assignment #2} write a letter to your future self

image via

This exercise comes straight from Makeunder My Life, one of my all time favorite blogs.

Write a letter to your future self, congratulating your {future} self on all that you have accomplished this year. It is important to write this letter in the past tense, since you have already accomplished all these things. Be specific. Be bold. Be courageous. Be TRUE.

*     *     *

Dear gc,

As 2011 winds down, I am amazed and impressed with everything you have accomplished this year.

home + stuff

In the spring, you moved into your new home. The contractors moved the new walls, roofed it, and closed it in. Ever since April, you and j have been working hard to continue making progress. You installed new floors, insulated and painted the walls, and changed the lighting situation. The kitchen is mostly done -- only a few details left to finish. You and j have made beautiful design choices so that your new home reflects that modern dwell quality. The kids' rooms are completely finished, and they each love their rooms so much. j built loft beds for each of them. The kids' rooms are personalized, comfortable, and organized.

All year, you have made a conscious effort to avoid acquiring any useless *stuff*. It has helped you to not waste money, and it has also been more peaceful to own fewer things. You own fewer things, but the things that you do own hold more value. This means that decorating and accessorizing your new home has been a slower process. You have been okay with that, and you enjoyed the slow, careful process.

fashion + personal style

The less is more philosophy also translated to your wardrobe. Over the course of the year, you became more in tune with your own personal style and less in tune with fleeting trends. You developed a comfortable, chic, and sexy personal style. You learned which cuts and colors look best on you. You also experimented with quick and easy ways to style your hair and do your make up. You learned the best ways to enhance your beauty in a fairly low-maintenance way.

sensuality
Developing and embracing your own personal style boosted your confidence and your sensuality. It has become a daily habit of yours to take the time to feel pretty, and you learned the importance of feeling sexy for your partner. And boy does j find you sexy! Sometimes it's what you wear to bed, sometimes it's your scent, and sometimes it's your actions, but you and j have created an enviable intimate life. In fact, it is better than ever.

financial
This year, you took responsibility for your financial future. You took proactive steps in budgeting and saving, and you learned where your money regularly goes. You and j have an ambitious plan to pay off the mortgage in 7 years, and you have been sticking with the plan. j is proud of you, and he feels like he has a partner instead of having to solely bear the financial burden. In the fall, you successfully pursued substitute teaching jobs, and you have been able to work a couple of regular days a week.

friendships + community
You have made a few more friends, and several of these friendships seem like ones that will last for the long haul. You organized a couple Mom's Nights Out with the moms of both g and i's classrooms. The parents and teachers at the kids' new school see you as a valuable new addition to the community. You regularly volunteer in both kids' classes, and they have settled in nicely. Both kids have already made good friends in their new classes, and we are all finally settled.

rest + relaxation
Despite the ongoing house renovations, your family made time for regular family fun. All year long, you took time out for beach days, local hikes, and regular bbq's with friends. In the spring, you organized a two-week vacation to Hawaii. It was such a memorable and happy experience for the four of you to get away.

creativity + learning
At the beginning of the year, you created a system where you enforced consistent, daily one-hour personal time for yourself. It became an invaluable part of your routine, and it made you a better person. You don't know how you ever lived without it. You also took the time to pursue outside interests like flower arranging, calligraphy, and Spanish.

body + wellness
This was your biggest triumph of the year! You are no longer at war with your body. This year, you embraced a diet of regular fresh, raw veggies and fruits, and lean protein. You eat good delicious and nutritious food, but only as much as you want and need. You lost the desire to binge on processed and refined-sugary foods because you started seeing your body through a filter of love and admiration. No food is off-limits, but you only want the good stuff. Processed foods taste fake and chemically to you. You regularly exercise, but you don't beat yourself up for missing a workout. Over the year, your body became a lean, strong, and efficient being. Without even realizing it, you achieved the strong, lithe shape you always desired. Now, it seems effortless and the only way to exist.

Cheers to you and congratulations on a great year. You are everything you ever wanted to be.

xoxo,
gc