Today, I’m going to throw together a little trifecta for you, including some cyber security!
Recently, we talked about Self-Instructions, and in the Fall we talked about the power of “I Am” statements. Here is a simple way you can incorporate those on a daily basis AND increase your cyber security.
I’m sure you’ve heard it before, “Have strong passwords...
“Change your password every 90 days.” One of the biggest challenges for most people (including me!) is remembering a “strong” password, especially when it feels like you just finally memorized the last one!
Here’s my trick…
I create a short sentence that starts with “I Am.”
Then I change out some a’s for @ signs, some e’s for 3’s, etc. Not only is it more than 8 characters (and the longer the better!), it’s complex because it includes special characters, it’s easy to remember, and, best of all, it’s also a powerful “I Am” statement with Self-Instruction sprinkled in. Here are some examples of my old passwords:
I@mj0yful = I am joyful
I@mcr3@tive! = I am creative
I@mh3@lthy! = I am healthy
When I discovered this solution, it was magic.
It’s easy to remember my password and I get an awesome “I Am” self-instruction every time I log into my computer! What could be better than that!?! (when it comes to passwords..haha).
Here are a bunch of words to help inspire you to create your own, unique, powerful password:
Freedom
Integrity
Important
Excited
Kick-ass
Truthful
Honest
Passionate
Powerful
Generous
Gracious
Motivated
On-point
Focused
You get the idea! Now pick one – or pick one of your own – and go change your password.
It protects you and empowers you. And You Deserve IT!
With love and inspiration,
Dr. Michelle
PS – a cybersecurity caveat.
I only use this method to sign into my computer. For all other passwords, I use LastPass, a secure, encrypted Password Manager. Do not use the same password for all your logins for everything. That’s one of the fastest, easiest ways for you to have multiple accounts compromised. Here’s a Stratti blog about strong passwords. Check it out.