Decision journal template
Before a change becomes a success story or a disappointment, record the version you can see today: the facts, the hopes and the trade-off you are choosing.
Write the before-change letter ↓ Already opened your letter? Write a reply ↓This browser worksheet assembles your own words into a letter. Use initials or fictional details if you prefer. Nothing is saved here; copy your letter before leaving. It does not send a letter, set a reminder or transfer anything into the app.
Loading the example replaces these fields. This is a writing aid, not advice about which option to choose.
Your letter · updates as you write
If copying is unavailable, select the letter text and copy it manually. Blank sections remain visible as prompts; they are not filled in for you.
“The class meets on Saturday” is a checkable fact. “I will make friends there” is a hope. Both can belong in the letter, but give them different labels. If a detail is second-hand, say where it came from and what remains unconfirmed.
Write one realistic alternative, including doing nothing for now. Record why you passed on it. This makes the trade-off visible without pretending that every option could have been tested.
“Was I right?” invites a single verdict. “Which assumption held up?” and “What would I adjust?” give future you more to work with. The review can describe an outcome without grading your past self.
Keep the original letter intact. Add a dated reply underneath or in a separate note. Start with what happened, then compare it with what you expected. Identify information that only became available later. A pleasant outcome does not mean every assumption was sound; an awkward outcome does not erase the reasons you had at the time.
For the pottery example, a useful reply might be: “I liked the making but found the early start difficult. My assumption about enjoying the activity held up. My assumption about Saturday mornings did not. Next time I would try an afternoon session.”
AFTER OPENING A LETTER
When you reopen an old letter, choose one line you want to answer. Keep the original intact. This companion builds a separate reply using only what you enter.
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Original line: “Will I ever find my way around this neighborhood?” Reply: “I walked home from the library without looking at the map. I still take the long way when the bakery is open.” Next time: “Which corner do you know by its smell?”
No. You can write “I do not know yet.” The point is to preserve your current understanding, including its gaps. Do not invent a probability just to make the letter look precise.
Choose a moment when there may be something new to observe, such as after the trial period you already planned. This web page does not schedule delivery. If you use an app, choose from the timing options the app actually provides.
It can record questions in your own words, but it does not assess risk or replace qualified advice. The worked example is deliberately an ordinary activity choice.
Dear You: Daily Letters lets you write future-self letters and reply when they open. The free tier includes one future letter waiting at a time, write-back notes and PDF export. Plus adds unlimited future letters and more content through a monthly or annual subscription.
See Dear You on the App Store →iPhone and iPad · iOS 17 or later · Free with in-app purchases. Check current local prices and renewal terms before subscribing. This worksheet is a separate web companion, not an app screenshot or a native decision-analysis feature.
Want to make a sentence more concrete? Try the letter-detail workshop. For a different kind of record, use the ordinary-day time capsule.
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