Write a letter to the future
It's pretty simple.
Step One
Write a letter. It can be as short or as long as you want. It can be to someone else or yourself. It can be public or private.
Step Two
Choose the date you want the letter to be delivered to the recipient. This could be tomorrow or in a few years—your choice!
Step Three
That's it! Everything else is automated. So, sit back, relax, and read letters by other people. Or, you can support the site.
Is it really free?
Yes. Future Postbox is completely free—it's a side hobby of The Postman who runs the site. That said, the site does cost money to run and The Postman has some lofty dreams of where it could all go:
· Imagine being able to send messages based on geography, temperature, or factors other than just time!
· Imagine sending different types of media: Videos, documents, voice messages, and more!
· Imagine having your own app and account where you can keep track of all the letters you've sent and received!
Perhaps one day, but that all costs money and The Postman is a volunteer. If you'd like to support the site visit Future Postbox's support page.
What do you write?
Whatever you like! People use Future Postbox for lots of different reasons. Some use it as a time capsule of thoughts and feelings, some use it as a way to set or track goals, some use it to say the things that are too hard to say face-to-face, and others use it as a daily journal. If you're after more inspiration, you can read letters others have written. NB: There are some limitations on explicit content (see below).
I used to be able to upload images! What happened?
In short: cost. The Postman runs this site without income and the cost of collecting and hosting images became too expensive (I'm looking at you, Webflow!) . If you already wrote a letter that included images, rest assured your letter will still be delivered with the images attached.
Are there any limits on content?
Future Postbox is a place of love and good vibes.
· The Postman will not tolerate any form of cyber bullying, trolling, or illegal activity.
· Letters may be screened and The Postman reserves the right not to send, delete, or forward your letter to any relevant authorities.
· Anyone under the age of 18 should seek permission to use Future Postbox from their parent or guardian.
· Please refer to the Data and Privacy Policy for more information.
Is it automated?
Yes! As of October 2023, Future Postbox is now completely automated. In the past, The Postman manually sent every letter. This was not only tedious but resulted in some occasional issues with consistency of delivery (The Postman apologises to anyone affected). So, the service should now be a lot more reliable! Oh, you may wish to add the email address thepostman@futurepostbox.com to your safe senders to avoid messages going to spam.
What's the difference in privacy options?
· If you select "This letter can be public", your letter can be read by others via the read page. If you've made your letter public, but later change your mind, send an email to The Postman with your details and it will be removed from the public page.
· If you select "Keep this letter private", then it will only be sent to the intended recipient.
What does The Postman do with your data?
The Postman is extremely cautious with your data. Primarily, it's used to:
· Get the letter to where it needs to go.
· Provide you (extremely infrequent) updates about Future Postbox.
For more information, please read Future Postbox's full Privacy Policy.
A glimpse at what other people have written.
November 13, 2011
From:
Wadzi Chikwira
To:
Wadzi Chikwira
Date to be sent:
November 13, 2012
Hello future me Despie the fact that this creeps you out a fair bit. There is one thing I want you to know, Miss. One thing you need to grab onto and need to take to your core. Live life, stop gripping about the person you envy , the person you think has it worked out the person who did a double degree too, who walks in the same cricles you do who almost feels like the person you could be if you pushed just that bit, if you were perfect. Stop looking at her and live. Be the person whose fully human , brings great glory to God and forget the things that weigh you down. Really thats all you need to take from this year. Because there were so many times you gave up, you couldn't do it, you walked home at 3 am from the computer labs, you didnt care, you didnt have any more money , you went to the foodbank so many times you thought a plane ride home was the answer and somehow or by grace youre here. Youre done, the year from hell is over so rejoice cause your joy has come , your joy has come in the morning!
February 16, 2020
From:
Past Pete
To:
Past Pete
Date to be sent:
February 16, 2021
Hey Future Pete, As I write this, it’s a day before your 41st birthday. This time a year ago (two years for you) I was in relationship limbo, living in a one bedroom apartment in Toowong and unemployed with lots of confidence I’d land a 6 figure job. In those 12 months, I did not land any of the jobs I expected. Con moved into the apartment and after awkwardly sharing a tiny space, we then we moved into our house in Paddington, only to have to move on 6 months later. While I didn’t land any big ticket paid roles. I did volunteer with Sortal, met some awesome people at CrowdRound, mentored some prisoners and just in the last few weeks started getting paid for some of the Sortal stuff, been offered to be a co-founder of MySortal and am doing paid work for iMaven as they prepare to launch. In terms of relationships, I went from an unhealthy co-dependent limbo with Em (who I haven’t communicated with in over 6 months... at the time of writing this email), to a loving and beautiful relationship with B. While my poor drunken behavior and promiscuity triggered a lot of challenges, we’ve navigated our way through them and I’m happier for it. If you had of asked me 12 months ago where I’d be now (or in your case, then), I never would have expected any of those things to have happened. Now as I get ready to move into a new place at Red Hill, I have no idea what the future will bring. I hope that you have sorted out your financial situation. While it was exciting to live small for such a long time, you’re worth so much more than that! I hope you’re doing work that is fulfilling. I hope you finally have some savings and have had (or planning) a holiday. Did you get to Tassie? I hope that you settle in to your new place and get to deck it out with you’re awesome retro funky fun happy decor ideas. Lots of plants. Colourful rugs, danish looking furniture, comic book artworks. You deserve a place that reflects who you are and brings you joy! At the start of 2020, you decided to meditate, read and move regularly. I hope by now, you’ve smashed through a dozen books, have a meditation track record of a year and are healthy and in good a shape. Another thing you’ve talked a lot about but haven’t done much of is cook. I hope you’re making yourself tasty healthy food, taking care of your mental health, have big goals and dreams for the year ahead and are loving life. While I can’t even imagine what you’re going to do for your 42nd birthday, make sure you spend it with friends. And lastly, review what’s happened the last 12 months and write to your future self as this has been fun! Past Pete P.s. hope you are still as funny as you were. Don’t forget you kept saying you’d like to do comedy again :)
