My favourite journaling tool of all time

How we can tap into deep wisdom and guidance when we put pen to paper

Hi there, I’m Selina, a Career and Life Design Coach, author and podcaster. I’ve been helping people design lives and careers they love for almost two decades.

When I’m not writing here on Substack, I’m coaching clients all over the world, from my little green office in South East London. If you’re curious about what my coaching programmes could do for you, you can come and check them out over here

I had a different post lined up for you today, but then

Emma Gannon

‘s gorgeous new book A Year of Nothing, created with

The Pound Project

, arrived through my inbox yesterday and as I began to devour it (it is utterly delicious - powerful and soothing all at the same time) I discovered that I’m mentioned in it!

Emma explains how I introduced her, some years ago, to the practice of writing yourself letters of love and support from your ‘Wise Older Self’. I won’t tell you what writing these letters has done for Emma, you’ll have to read A Year of Nothing to find out, but what I can tell you is the difference these letters have made to me and how you can start doing them too.

Tapping into deep wisdom through your pen

I’ve been writing these letters to myself for almost two decades and encouraging my friends and clients to do the same. If you’ve read my book Burnt Out you’ll find it in there on the section on Tuning Into Your Wise Inner Cheerleader (p.56) and if you have my Project You journal, you’ll find it in the digital toolkit.

I honestly believe it is one of the most powerful journaling exercises out there.

So often we look for love, support, guidance and wisdom from outside of ourselves, not realising that we can find all the love, support and wisdom we need within.

No one knows better than you what words of encouragement you need to hear, but not only that, I find that when we allow ourselves to tap into our own inner wisdom, we also tap into a collective wisdom, a deeper knowing.

It’s not unusual for people to be surprised and moved by the guidance and love that emerges on the page in front of them.

And there is something so healing and powerful about turning your love and tenderness on yourself.

So often we reserve that loving voice for the people around us, but turn a far more critical voice on ourselves. Through writing these letters to yourself - with love, tenderness and support - you actively cultivate a loving, kind and supportive relationship with yourself.

And that alone can be life changing.

One day what I'd love to do is put together a book of people's messages to them from their Wise Older Selves. For now I'll share the one I wrote to myself today (don’t worry, I typed it out below so you don’t have to decipher my writing):

Sweet one you need to rest. Your soul needs to feel the earth hold her, soothe her, fill her back up.

Your body needs to feel her roots reach deep and restore your energy through stillness, pleasure and joy.

You need to spend time with me. Meet me on the yoga mat, here in your journal, amongst the trees.

Together we will stomp through the anger, the pain, the grief.

It was a lot. It is a lot. And there is more to come.
And I will be here every step of the way.

That’s right, deep breaths.
Feel the love in your lungs.
Feel the love in the air.
In every molecule.

Consider that life IS love.

I’ll leave you with that.

Rest well this weekend my love.

The world will wait.

Rest, rest, rest 💛

I can’t tell you the difference it made to me to receive this message. To feel seen, held understood and supported in this way.

And that might sound weird, because after all it’s just me writing to me.
But it didn’t feel that way. It felt like much more than me.

I walked away carrying a presence of deep love and support with me.

And all it took was five minutes with my journal and a pen.

So, now it’s your go…

If you've never done an exercise like this before, it might sound kind of alien or even cringy, but I promise you, give it a go and you'll see just how natural it can actually feel and how powerful it can really be.

✍️ Letter from your Wise Older Self

Imagine that you are receiving a letter from your wise older self in the future (you can also imagine you’re receiving the letter from someone you admire, an ancestor, a higher power, Love, whatever works for you).
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This deeply loving and supportive version of you is reaching back to the person you are today, looking upon you with so much love and with so much wisdom to offer. Let that wise version of you write a letter of love and support to you.
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Don’t over think it, just start writing and see what words emerge on the page.

And if you’re looking for a special notebook to write these letters from your Wise Older Self, may I recommend…

The Project You notebook!

Last year I teamed up with Rude Designs to create this beautiful notebook that comes with a digital toolkit, created by me, that helps you design a life you love.

This is where I write my letters to me from my Wise Older Self.

Now you can too!

And then come and let me know how you get on writing a letter of love and support from your Wise Older Self to you…

x Selina