How NOT to Organize Your Passwords (And Lose Access to Everything)

Most people don’t “organize passwords.” They accumulate them, like receipts in a junk drawer, until the day comes when they need one urgently.

Then they discover their personal password strategy is: panic + guess + lockout.

1) Reuse the same password everywhere (efficiency!)

Why remember 120 passwords when you can remember one? Sure, one breach turns into 120 breaches, but that’s just called “streamlining.”

2) Store your passwords in a Notes app titled “PASSWORDS”

Bonus points if it’s unprotected, synced to every device, and includes your bank login right next to the Wi‑Fi password for your neighbor’s router.

3) Create a “system” that only you understand (and you barely do)

Like: PetName + Year + ! + WebsiteInitial. It’s clever until a website forces special rules and your system collapses like wet cardboard.

4) Use browser auto-save as your only plan

Browsers can be fine, but relying on a single browser profile on a single laptop is a classic way to turn a dead hard drive into a personality test.

5) Never write down recovery codes

Recovery codes are boring. And because they’re boring, people ignore them, then act surprised when “Forgot password” doesn’t work without access to the old phone/email.

6) Let your email be the master key… and forget to secure it

If someone gets your email, they can reset almost everything. So naturally, people secure every account except email. It’s the digital equivalent of installing a vault door on the bathroom and leaving the front door open.

What to do instead (the non-chaotic version)

• Use a password manager (pick one and actually commit).
• Use unique passwords for important accounts.
• Secure your email with strong 2FA and a recovery plan.
• Save recovery codes somewhere separate from the account and your phone.
• Do one recovery test on a second device.

A 10-minute checklist

1. Install a password manager.
2. Move your email and bank logins first.
3. Turn on 2FA for email.
4. Generate and store recovery codes.
5. Change reused passwords over time (start with the most important).

Congrats. Your future self can now log in without bargaining with the universe.

“Good” password rules that backfire spectacularly

• Changing passwords every 30 days → you end up with a predictable pattern and forget them constantly.
• Writing hints like “Dog+Anniversary+!” → congratulations, you wrote the password with extra steps.
• Storing everything in your head → your brain is not a secure storage system. It’s a chaos generator.

The real goal: reduce the number of passwords you must remember to one

That one password is the master password to your password manager. Everything else should be unique and generated.

What to do instead (the adult setup)

1. Pick a password manager and commit (switching every month is how you lose data).
2. Secure your email first with strong 2FA and a recovery plan.
3. Move your top 10 accounts (email, bank, cloud, social, work tools).
4. Turn on 2FA where it matters.
5. Store recovery codes somewhere separate from the account and your phone.

A migration plan that won’t ruin your weekend

Don’t try to fix 200 accounts in one sitting. Do this:

• Day 1: Email + password manager + bank.
• Day 2: Cloud storage + shopping accounts.
• Day 3: Social + anything that can reset other accounts.

Small batches. Less drama.

Emergency kit: the 3 things you should have

• Password manager access (master password + working login).
• Email recovery plan (2FA + recovery codes stored separately).
• Device independence (you can log in without that one specific laptop/phone).

What not to do, summarized

• Don’t reuse passwords.
• Don’t keep your only copy in one device/browser.
• Don’t ignore recovery codes.
• Don’t leave your email weak.

That’s it. You’ve now avoided the most popular hobby on earth: locking yourself out of your own accounts.