Short-term memory difficulties are common in people with ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. Today it seems that almost every place you visit or order from online requires a user name and often a password. How is it possible to keep all of your screen names and passwords straight?

My mom taught me many things in life, but one of the best tips she ever gave me has to do with creating and remembering passwords for individual web sites. If possible, create a unique log on or screen name that you can use all the time. One that is uncommon enough that it is unlikely to be used by others. For instance, if you my initials and my spouse’s initials, you get WESELS. It is not very likely this would be a common screen or sign on name for many.

As for the password hint, you use four numbers, always the same four numbers. Do not use birthdays, anniversaries, phone numbers, house numbers, or the last four numbers of your Social Security Number. These are commonly used and easier to guess or find out than one realizes. Take a random set of numbers say 1313. You will always use the same four numbers as part of your passwords. However, you also combine it with the first four letters of the web site where you are setting up the password.

So, here at Bellaonline.com in order to post in the forums you need a screen name (Wesels) and a password to enter. The password would be bell1313. Bell is the first 4 letters of the website and 1313 are the numbers we choose to use each time we need to initiate a new password. The beauty of this system is that you will rarely have to write down websites, screen names, and passwords with this system. I have returned sometimes years later to a website and because I was consistent in setting up or changing my screen name and resetting my password using my favorite four numbers I was logged in almost instantly, without having to go through the lost password reset feature like before.

Security experts recommend that we have a different password for each site we visit, which can quickly be overwhelming and unmanageable if one is living with ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. This system allows us to have a different password for each site. This way if ever a password is hacked, only one site and one password are compromised.

This system works well, except for a few sites. Yet, certain websites require you to reset your password every 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. Often these sites do not allow you to reuse passwords. This can be tricky but I do have a solution that works in most cases. If a varying password is required, I add 1 number to the last of my 4 numbers. For example, if my numbers are 1313, I would use 1314, and then next time a reset is required 1315, etc. If I must reset both my the first four letters and the number then I switch to a system where I use the numbers first and the four letters last, and will vary from there as needed.

In reality, this system that will work in almost every situation, and I have had great success in using it without much difficulty, and if I find a site that is especially difficult to remember than I set up a fake Windows Document File and only put down the least amount of info needed to remember the password. For instance I will write American B [for the website American Bank], then write the log on if different from usual, and finally the initials pw for password and a brief intro to remind me of the full password [Amer****] the stars clue me in that I used my standard four numbers 1313. No one else will know what the stars mean if I am careful never to disclose those four numbers.

Well, I hope this password tip of the week comes in handy for all of you and that this makes it easier for us ADD people to surf around on the net. Have a blessed week!