The system I use is this - I use a fixed combination of letters that never change (4 letters), and then I follow it up with an 8 digit series of numbers, ending up with 12 digit password.
I have a contact on my phone where all the passwords are stored as phone numbers (just the number, not the letters). If I ever forget the password, I just look it up on my phone. If my phone is ever stolen, the thief will never figure out that a particular contact happens to be having my password as their phone number, and even if he does, he does not know the fixed letter combination I tack on.
And I change this passwords every few months, and when I first change it, I use my phone to remember it. Furthermore, I split the passwords into 3 categories - important, not so important and the password I share with family.
I have a contact on my phone where all the passwords are stored as phone numbers (just the number, not the letters). If I ever forget the password, I just look it up on my phone. If my phone is ever stolen, the thief will never figure out that a particular contact happens to be having my password as their phone number, and even if he does, he does not know the fixed letter combination I tack on.
And I change this passwords every few months, and when I first change it, I use my phone to remember it. Furthermore, I split the passwords into 3 categories - important, not so important and the password I share with family.