What I’ve been doing in my basement lately is not pretty.

The groaning. The straining. Sweat stinging my eyes.

Yet four days a week, I walk down the basement stairs and spend 30 minutes alone.

Because I know that committing to a strength training habit is as important to my future health and happiness as intelligently managing my usernames and passwords.

And while they both help ensure I’ll be spry, hale, and financially healthy years from now, they both also involve important people in my life.

My girlfriend knows I’m lifting. She nudged me to take care of myself, so I got the weight bench and the dumbbells, and started.

And my daughter knows that, no matter what happens to me, she can access all my logins and passwords in seven days. That’s peace of mind for us both.

It’s that other person you may not have considered with respect to your passwords. Let’s consider it now, though, because there’s real benefit to planning ahead.

Expect the Unexpected

Last week, I heard about a person who became so ill, they forgot the passcode for their iPhone.

They lived alone, and had never shared the lock code with anyone. When they got well enough to get their phone back and tried to unlock it, they couldn’t get in.

Unfortunately, when that happens, the only option is to reset the device. Not even Apple Support can help you. You’d need to wipe everything and start over again.

Imagine that.

Imagine losing every picture, every contact, every note, every single thing that’s on your phone now. Gone.

But you can avoid that outcome provided you plan today.

A Three-Legged Stool

There are three key components to making sure your digital information is secure and available for you.

First, set up a password manager. I recommend Bitwarden because of its end-to-end encryption, open source code, and fully featured free account level.

Next, you need to set up the password manager completely which means printing a recovery key and storing it somewhere safe. I explained a bit about that in another post, and both 1Password and Bitwarden offer explainers for their services.

And the third leg of this personal data stool is one other person.

Maybe it’s a spouse. Maybe it’s a best friend. Could be a coworker you trust, a neighbor, or possibly an attorney.

Regardless, it needs to be someone you trust so completely that, no matter what happens to you, you are certain they will be good stewards of your information.

Quick: who is your person?

If you weren’t able to answer that question in five seconds or less, you don’t have one.

Build The Foundation

No matter what your situation is today, you have the power to protect your data.

It’s the same dynamic as my dumbbells. Sure, I bought them, but am I using them? How often do I walk down the basement stairs and push myself to do hard things?

For the last two weeks, I’ve been down there four times each week. I’ve got a long way to go to reach my goals, but if I keep at it, I’ll get there eventually.

The same goes for you and your logins. Pick a tool – I recommend Bitwarden – and begin.

However, if you know yourself well enough to know you don’t want to do it alone, I’m here for you.

You are two hours away from digital peace of mind. Book a password manager setup session with me now and you’ll be ready to face anything that comes.

Even the unexpected. And picking your person.

Yes, we’ll cover that, as well.