A Leap into the Future

Happy Leap Day, everyone! I have a little exercise for you. You don’t need to be a writer or even a reader to have a bit of fun with this.

Take a piece of paper, or open a fresh document on your computer. Put today’s date at the top, and the following header: Four Years from Today I Wish…

Below that header, write down 3-5 things you hope to accomplish/wish will come true/think you can pull off in the next four years. They can be big or small, but let your imagination roam. Do you want to be married? Published? Own a house? Have traveled abroad? Run a marathon? Write them down.

That’s it. Don’t plan how you’re going to accomplish these things or schedule the steps required to get from here to there. Just write down your dreams.

Now, take that paper or print out that document, fold it up and put it in an envelope. Write February 29, 2016 on the front and seal it up. Now put that envelope somewhere safe, but where you’ll be sure to come across it from time to time: Top drawer of your dresser, the file cabinet where you keep your tax documents, a jewelry box… And do not open it until the next Leap Day.

Happy writing, and happy dreaming!

4 thoughts on “A Leap into the Future

  1. As someone who has been keeping a personal journal since I was 8 years old, I absolutely love this idea. I often go back and read my journal and see goals that I have had, some I’ve achieved and some I haven’t. If I haven’t it is usually because I’ve changed. Either way I get to know myself better. I am totally taking you up on this exercise.

  2. After the last few years I wanted to make a deal with the fates: I will accept that nothing good, interesting, positive, or exciting will ever happen to me again so long as the epic flood of disaster, pain, and stress stops. Just stop beating up on me and my family and I will go quietly about my business and want for nothing. So in my envelope? A blank piece of paper.

    1. Oh my, it sounds like you’re having a bad run. But you know, no one escapes stress or bad news, etc. It’s good to have some upbeat things to hope for to at least balance it out a bit. Hope things turn around for you soon, and that I see something new from you in my submissions box at some point. You have a lot of talent.

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