ABSTRACT
Instructors often encourage reflection to help students make sense of past experiences. The Letter to the Future Self (LFS) is a proflective writing assignment used in Advanced General Psychology for Leaders at the United States Military Academy. The assignment can easily be adapted for use with civilian students and in other psychology or leadership education courses that include personal development goals, such as becoming more grateful or preparing for student leadership positions. Reflection is an essential and complex part of transformative learning. Team leaders advise, mentor, develop, and care for this plebe in their personal, professional, and academic development. The critical thought and emotional intelligence required to be a good team leader is the same required to be a successful Army officer. The LFS is unique not only because it incorporates proflection, but because cadets receive a copy of the LFS in the mail during the week before their team leader roles commence.
