Brewin Dolphin : Write a letter to your future self - guide

Imagine you are writing a letter to yourself in the future, deep into old age; a letter that your 'future self' may discover and read in the years ahead as you reflect on your life. Try thinking about the following things to help compose your letter:

• • What you've achieved in life - home and career

• • The financial situation you'd like to be in

• • The people who are most important to you

• • Where you want to be living in older age

• • How you relax in your spare time - hobbies and interests

• • Any other life goals you might have

Imagine you are deep in old age - what does your family look like? Are you married? Do you have children or grandchildren?

Where do you live? Do you still live in the UK? What kind of place do you live in? How did you come to live there? Do you own property?

What do you like doing in your spare time? The same things as when you were younger? Have you learned new skills, taken up new hobbies or interests?

Where did you travel during your life? Did you see everywhere you wanted to? How important was it to travel the world?

What do you hope to have achieved in your life by this stage? How do you feel if you have not achieved your aims?

What did you do for a career? What sort of working life did you have?

What is your financial situation like? What sources of income do you have? What does financial security look like for you? What financial goals did you have when you were working?

How important was money to help you achieve the life you have lived? Did you have the money you needed? Did you save as much as you needed to for retirement?

Thinking back over your life, what are you most proud of? What is your biggest achievement?

What are the most important decisions you made during your life? Think about your career, your family life and anything else you've written about so far.