Write a Personal Credo

Who do you want to be? How do you hope others will see you? What do you stand for? These are some of the most powerful questions any of us get to answer in life. A credo is your answer to them, written just for you or maybe shared with a few close people.

We write a credo to set an aim for ourselves, and to remember that goal when we’re confused. When confusing things happen, say conflict with friends, or a decision you have to make that doesn’t have a clear right or wrong, look back on this credo. It may guide you toward becoming the person you want to be.

Getting Started:

Ask yourself three essential questions. Find a quiet place, somewhere you won’t be distracted, and write down the three questions: What kind of person do you want to be? How do you hope others will see you? What do you want to stand for?
Write down your answers. For a first pass, just write down any and all thoughts you have around each of these, or draw them out. It doesn’t have to be organized and clear yet. Once you have a brainstorm for each, you can begin refining it into something short and to the point.. At most two sentences per question. A credo shouldn’t be long —you want it to be easy to glance at to give you guidance when you need it.
Share it. If there’s a trusted adult, friend, or mentor you can share it with, it helps to have another pair of eyes on it, not to proofread it grammatically but to help you become very clear on the ideas and intentions in the credo.
Keep it handy. Once done, the credo is just for you. Keep it somewhere you can see it and find it easily. Consider if you want to tweak it from time to time, maybe once per year on your birthday, new year’s day, or a holiday. Your credo can give you control in shaping your own identity, as you set an intention and gradually grow into it.