A Letter To My Future Self
The new year has well and truly started, I can’t believe it is almost March!! The first months of the year has been a lot of planning and preparation, almost all of January was dedicated to planning for the year ahead!
I felt this pressure that I should I have gotten all this planning down ages ago, like in December or November last year. I don't know why we feel this pressure to have everything figured out before January 1st, as if not having a perfect plan means we're wasting precious time that could be spent working toward our goals.
It is better to spend extra time crafting your yearly plan (of course not making overly concrete - a lot can happen in the year!). It takes time to process and reflect on the year that was and reflecting on what you want to achieve this year.
I wanted to write a letter to my future self, so when I review the year that has passed, I can read my thoughts from a year ago. I like the idea that your past self can offer unexpected wisdom to your present self.
Dear Pippa,
2025 what a year it has been for you! 2024 was the year to build that foundation for your business. After spending countless hours building a website, saving money for machines and just learning the ins and outs of running a small business in general!
This year is the one where you are finally putting yourself and your art out there! Finally setting up your online shop on your own Youtube channel.
I know you are trying to wrap your head around all this, thinking how am I going to achieve all this within one year?
Setting up My Online Shop With Zero Experience
It is okay you are not going to know everything about running an online shop for the first time. Yes, there is so much to think about, shipping, taxes, packaging and marketing let alone making the products yourself!
Remember to reach out to the people around you, they may give some great advice and guidance which you would have never thought of.
Most importantly not everything is set in stone. Yes you need to decided on things now but you can always change them at a later date. Don't let perfectionism hold you back—it's okay not to have everything figured out from the start. Don’t let fear hold you back from opening your online store.
Starting a Youtube Channel as an Introvert
Starting a Youtube channel is going to be scary. As someone who's camera shy and sometimes awkward in front of the lens, this will push you outside your comfort zone.
You may even doubt what you are showing is not inspiring, exciting or even original. Know that your story is a unique one, not because it is completely original but because it is your story that you are sharing no one else’s. Your story is what makes it unique.
Facing those Challenges Head On
Time: Your Biggest Enemy
The biggest challenge you will face is to balance your small business commitment and your full time corporate job. Time sometimes is going to feel like a luxury. You are going to wonder where did my weekend go? Why is there is so much to do on my list in front of me?
You are going to beat yourself about not doing more. But what you are doing is more than enough. You are doing the best with what you have right now.
It is better to work on your small business for 20 minutes each night than to try to jam-pack all your tasks into a single day. When time feels scarce, remember that consistency matters more than intensity.
Avoiding Burnout
Lastly, this is the most important lesson, look after yourself. Look after yourself during the days when you don’t feel 100%. Know that you are trying your absolute hardest. It is not realistic to try cram as much as you can in each day.
View your life as waves, some weeks you have all the energy in the world to complete all your week’s tasks, some weeks you just completed one task from your list and that is totally okay. Have those down times to rest and not do anything productive! Those moments are just as important as the moment when you do work towards achieving your dreams.
You are going to question why I am even doing this to begin with. Why am I giving up my weekends, my nights after works and my mornings. Remember that 'why' because it will give you motivation to keep going.
I look forward to seeing what's in store for you this year. It's going to fly past, so make sure you make the most of it. Enjoy the journey! The first steps in planning your first-ever shop and YouTube video are so exciting—you won't get to experience that same feeling again.
From your 2025 self,
Pippa
So what are your goals for this year? What do you hope to achieve? Is it to start that hobby you have always wanted or is to finally start your small business?
Whatever it is, write a personal letter to yourself. When you open it January 1st 2026, you could discover some useful wisdom from your past self when looking to the future
I am looking forward to reading this post again at the end of the year … no peeping! Same for you as well!