Scenario: The graduate writes a letter to themselves, in the future, or they write a letter to one of their best friends in the future.

1. The graduate letter-writing kit, more than any of the others, is somewhat focused on spelling out future goals. In this way it is a tool that gives the graduation a reason or an occasion to think about and articulate a specific vision of the future. There are hundreds of books written on the subject of success and happiness, but the one element that they all have in common is the suggestion that each person fully imagine and write down what they want their future to look like. The act of imagining, the theory goes, helps to program the brain to help you achieve those goals.

2. The graduate should therefore spend some time envisioning and then writing down the specifics of their imagined future. Try to be as specific as possible—providing details for the image in your mind as often as possible.

3. Goals: Don't restrict yourself to goal regarding career. Try to train this focus on goals in other aspects of your life. Relationship Goals, Personal Development Goals, Spiritual Goals, family goals, and so on. Consider each area of your life and spend some time reflecting on the type of future you want. Let yourself envision a future that is exactly as you would want it to be. This means, do not let yourself edit or shoot down ANY ideas that you may have. Write this down in the PRESENT TENSE—i.e “I have a beautiful two story white house in the country...”

4. After you have thoroughly and specifically detailed your goals, you may want to spend some time describing the life that you are graduating out of. Generalizing about your experience is usually extremely boring to read about in the future. Try to think of actual events or episodes that happened that might serve as good symbols of your time at the school. Try to compare your feelings to something concrete an image from some event. With a few brief sketches and a few specific details, you can capture the feeling of the place as well as your experience in that place.

5. Friends and family. Attempt to capture these people as they appear to you now. Be honest and open and allow yourself to fully express how you see these people. What you are doing is setting down your perspective on life, and it is this shift that is most interesting to read about in the future.

6. Weaknesses. Not only is it useful to describe your goals, but you might also consider writing about your own personal flaws. What are aspects of your personality or habits that you have that you want to change in 5 or 10 years? Again, try to be honest about whatever you feel—you'll be glad that you were.

7. Avoid the temptation to use the space to wonder at the future “I wonder if I'll be rich yet” is not that interesting. Try if you can, to write as if you are talking to an actual person, a close friend of yours. Confide in them, explain yourself to them. Try to block out the idea that you are communicating with yourself as this may cause you to alter your natural personality. A good close friend—and perhaps you can ask this person a few questions or share a few secrets with them.

8. Write the letter. Do not put this off until you forget and find this kit in ten years and wish you had done it. Sketch a few ideas and then write the letter, or else just start writing. Be honest, and write as if you care about the recipient, act as if you're eager to share your life with them.