Creating New Year's resolutions is a tradition that has been around for decades. Typically, you would write goals for the coming new year. What makes resolutions unique is that they're meant to be realistic or, rather, goals you can actually take practical steps to accomplish. Sure, you can put your dreams, aspirations, and ambitions in your New Year's resolution list, but they shouldn't be vague. For instance, instead of saying "I want to be rich this year," you can list practical steps on financial management, or business/investment opportunities. Think of the New Year's resolution as a to-do list but grander; a bucket list but a bit scaled down. In other words, the resolution list is right in the middle.
Back in the day, you would write your resolutions on a notebook, in a journal or, in some cases, on a cocktail napkin during a blurry New Year's Eve party. Nowadays, everything is on a phone, tablet, computer, smart watch, and other digital devices. You can organize and plan your whole life online. Even back in the early-2000s, you could easily type your resolutions in a personal blog post and people still do so (because by putting out in public, you feel pressured to actually do them).
You can post on social media, but those platforms have their privacy issues. In any case, these are all fine options but they're kind of boring, and boring methods tend to make way for complacency or disinterest. That's why--along with multiple other reasons like laziness or being too busy--New Year's resolutions often fail even before the end of the first quarter. By March, you're eating a tub of ice cream while watching Netflix, forgetting that your top resolution for the year was to diet and exercise more, in capital letters, followed by multiple exclamation marks.
So, how do you break the annual cycle of not honoring your word to yourself? By making your resolutions reminders interesting. That's where Future Messages come in.
What are Future Messages?
Through Future Messages, you can record and schedule messages to send to loved ones weeks, months or years into the future. So you can be there for special occasions and important milestones in your loved one's life. No one wants to miss out on life’s most important moments. From birthdays to weddings or anniversaries, record a personalized message to those you love that will be sent at just the right time. Likewise, you can simply send a future message to yourself, whether for fun or as a digital letter from your past self.
Ways to use Future Messages
Those who are bravely battling terminal illnesses, such as cancer, or life-altering diseases like dementia can use Future Messages to send messages to their loved ones. Even after departing to the afterlife, a critically-ill individual can provide comfort to their loved ones through their presence. Although Future Messages cannot pause the mechanisms of life and death, it can "immortalize" your love, your words, wisdom, and your presence.
You don't have to be critically-ill to use Future Messages. You can record messages to your children now and set them to be sent when they're older. For example, you can do a video blog of being a young parent when your children are still babies. You can then send your message to a date when they'll be teenagers, or even young adults. This will remind your kids, in a humorous way, of the trials and tribulations you went through raising them. They will surely shed a tear or two (happy ones, of course) seeing just how much love and care you gave them when they were infants. These types of Future Messages are a great way to bond with your children, whether now, tomorrow, in the future, or forever.
If you're a young, healthy, single person, it doesn't mean you can't have fun with Memories' Future Messages feature. In fact, many people use apps like Future Messages to send messages to themselves. Receiving a message from your past self is quite exciting and you'll never get tired of the surprise when you get it. There's just something very sci-fi about it, as if a time traveler is communicating with you.
In a sense, sending a message to your future self is a form of blogging or journaling, because you're recording how your life and mindset is during a particular time in your evolution as a person. The person I was a decade ago is a complete stranger to me. Perhaps it's the same for you. In any case, Future Messages allow you to reflect back on the person you once were, and it's interesting to hear what you had to say.
Another great way to use Future Messages is to record celebration messages for future holidays, milestones, and occasions. For example, it's August now and you know you'll be moving to Tokyo by the start of December. That means you'll most likely miss out on celebrating with family and close friends back home. You can record a holiday greeting to your loved ones and set it to be sent during Christmas. That way, your presence will be felt even if you're on the opposite hemisphere.
How to use Future Messages to set New Year's goals
You can take Future Messages to yourself a step further by using them as reminders. Think of them as a long-term version of notifications on your calendar app. However, unlike reminders on calendar or project management apps, your message can be longer and more meaningful.
For instance, if your goal for the year is to write a novel, you can record a motivational talk to yourself. Tell yourself to never give up, stop being lazy, stop procrastinating, and to focus on your big goal. In life, it's very easy to fall back into our comfort zone, to lose steam after the initial hype. That's why a majority of New Year's resolutions fail before even the end of Spring.
When you receive that message from your past self, back when you were a hungry young writer, you'll probably feel bad (in a motivating way) for losing sight of your goal. It will remind and inspire you to get back on track, and to finally accomplish your New Year's goals.
So, don't just make New Year's resolutions; make sure you'll have support (from yourself) along the way as you stride towards your goals. Once you use the Future Messages app, you'll realize just how fun and easy it is to integrate to your productivity methods. In no time, sending Future Messages will be a normal part of your daily routine, long after you've accomplished your New Year's goals.