The Great Password Reconciliation Project

7 Months, 1 Password app, and Many Deep Breaths

Let’s be honest. Most of us operate with a digital junk drawer of passwords.

Passwords live in our browsers. Some are scribbled on paper. Some are hiding in old spreadsheets, notes apps, or in dim memory. Sometimes we use the same password over and over with a different special character or number at the end.

It’s 2025 and managing passwords can feel absolutely overwhelming.

Seven months ago, I began what I call my Great Password Reconciliation Project. The mission? To gather every digital key to every personal and professional kingdom I have and herd them all into one secure, searchable, sharable place, and to include my husband, my two teenage kids, and my mother as well.

While I started out thinking I could tackle this over Thanksgiving weekend, it took a lot longer. In fact, I finished it in June. Seven months of tracking down personal and professional logins and consolidating everything into one secure place.

I'll be honest. It was tedious.

I started with my obvious accounts: Google Password Manager (on multiple accounts) and Apple Passwords. My browser-stored passwords had quietly ballooned into the hundreds (many of them long-abandoned sites and duplicate entries). Then I turned to my massive old Excel spreadsheet, cleverly named “Passwords_NEW_final2.xlsx”. I had a few versions of that.

What surprised me most was how many accounts I’d created over the years and abandoned. Logins to businesses now out-of-business. Forgotten side projects. I had several accounts in teaching websites from my children’s preschool, and an old school lunch account (with money in it!) Each login was a digital breadcrumb of a past life.

The Tool I Chose

I moved everything into 1Password, a secure password manager I deeply recommend. (And no, I am not an affiliate.) I chose it for its ease of use and ability to handle everything from logins to secure notes to two-factor authentication codes. It also has a nifty Watchtower feature which tells me if my passwords are strong or if they’ve been compromised or if they’re linked to an insecure website.

I created a simple system to categorize entries. I created Vaults like “Finance, Bills & Health” (only my husband and I can see this one) and “Shopping” (which our core family can see.) I also have one called "RETHINK” which of course houses my business logins. You can search within or across them all and we have 10 in all. It makes finding things a breeze.

I also set up my mother with her own dedicated Vault that only she and I can see. This way I have access if she needs help. Doing a little light coaching on the side reminded me how universal this mess is. Whether you’re 25 or 75, password sprawl is a shared experience.

What You Can Do

Here are a few pointers for your own password reconciliation project. Don't be overwhelmed!

1.     Pick a Password Manager and Commit to it.

1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane. Just make sure it’s secure, encrypted, and syncs across all your devices – and your family’s devices as well if you’re sharing an account.

2.     Gather them all together.

Export your browser-stored passwords. Move your spreadsheets. Check your notes app. Look through old emails for account sign-ups. Then make a checklist and start.

3.     Secure What You Do Use and Close What You Don’t

Now is the time to let 1Password generate strong passwords. Set up 2FA. Secure with backup codes. Update payment information. If it’s a zombie account from 2012, delete it.

4.     Tackle a few at a time

Like so many of my projects, set a timer for 15 minutes at a time. You’ll be amazed what you can get done in focused bursts. I had to do this myself to help me get through it.

5.    Take your Time

You didn’t get here in a weekend, and you won’t finish it in a weekend. But don't be discouraged. Even if you only reconcile 5 logins today, that’s 5 fewer you must do later.

Finally, block a little time to review your vaults every once in a while. Life happens and this, unfortunately, is one of those projects that you will need to maintain.

Why This Matters

We all know good password hygiene is important, but it rarely makes it to the top of the To Do list. Why? Because it is tedious. It’s not even particularly satisfying while you’re doing it.

But once it’s done?

It is a weight lifted. In an age where our entire lives are online - from banking to telehealth to business systems - it’s not just about convenience. It’s about security, peace of mind, and dignity.

It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t glamorous. It was worth it.

I feel more secure and calmer. No more resetting passwords or guessing which autofill is correct. It just works. And it is safe.

If you’ve been putting off getting your password situation under control, let this be your nudge.

You can totally do this.

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When you're ready to tackle your tough organization project, I am here to help you learn how.

Let's RETHINK organization together.

For more information, visit the RETHINK website today.

Mandy Thomas is a professional organizer fulfilling her lifelong passion for creating order out of chaos. She finds joy in helping people tackle their most overwhelming spaces and collections to create the optimal living space and enjoy their homes.

RETHINK organization is on a mission to help you develop long-term patterns of organization that you can maintain and feel good about long after our work together is done.