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2026 is not just another year. It is a year of deadlines that we have been putting off and technologies that can no longer be ignored. We figured out what needs to be done right now, before it’s too late.
📋 In this article:
- Digitisation of employment records: deadline 10 June 2026
- Digital security: passwords and 2FA
- Home security: smart locks and cameras
- Physical security: self-defence
- AI skills: free courses
- Work-life balance: boundaries and detox
- Financial cushion 2.0
- Digital emergency kit
- Where to start: a 3-week plan
10 June 2026: a deadline that cannot be postponed
Let’s start with the most serious issue. By 10 June 2026, all Ukrainians must digitise their employment records. This is not a recommendation from some blogger — it is a requirement of Law No. 1217, passed back in 2021.
What happens if you ignore it? You will lose part of your insurance record. The Pension Fund warns that late digitisation may lead to problems with pension calculations and delays in processing. This is especially important for those who worked before 2004, as this data is most prone to loss.
How to digitise:
- Go to the PFU portal via Diya
- Upload scans of all pages of your employment record book (.jpg or .pdf, up to 1 MB)
- Check the data in your personal account
- If you find any errors, correct them now, not in May 2026
Important: In May-June 2026, the portal may be overwhelmed. It is better to do this now than to stand in line with millions of Ukrainians.
Digital security: less paranoia, more common sense
Password managers are no longer just for geeks
If you still use the same password for Gmail, your bank, and Netflix, congratulations, you are at risk. According to Have I Been Pwned, millions of passwords were leaked in 2024-2025 alone. Yours is probably floating around somewhere on the dark web.
The solution is a password manager. No need to struggle with KeePass in the style of ‘real hackers don’t use GUI’. Just get Bitwarden — it’s free, open source, and recognised as one of the best in 2025.
What to do:
- Install Bitwarden (app + browser extension)
- Create one strong master password (12+ characters, no dictionary words)
- Gradually change your passwords — start with banks, email, and social media
2FA: forget about SMS codes
SMS codes are easy to intercept through SIM swapping — when fraudsters reissue your SIM card to themselves. A much more reliable method is TOTP (one-time codes generated in the app).
Recommended apps:
- 2FAS — free, with backup support
- Google Authenticator — simple, but without synchronisation
- Authy — with synchronisation between devices
Where to enable 2FA first: Gmail, banks, work accounts, social networks.
AI: not a replacement, but an enhancer
Learn to use AI, but with caution
ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney — it’s not about replacing people, it’s about enhancing your capabilities. But there is an important rule: do not enter confidential data into AI.
The golden rule of AI: If you are not ready to publish this information on Facebook, do not enter it into ChatGPT.
Free AI courses — open now
If you want to learn about AI without paying or seeing ads, there are several proven options:
- AI Essentials — the basics of artificial intelligence and its practical application
- Prompting Essentials — creating effective queries
- Free through KSE (the next intake will be in 2026)
- 85,000+ Ukrainians have already completed
- 6 modules from beginner to advanced level
- Support from AcademyOcean and Choice31
Courses from the University of Helsinki:
- Elements of AI — the basics of AI in Ukrainian
- Building AI — practical skills
According to the 2025 IT course review on DOU, the most popular topics right now are OSINT and AI, and the leading courses for business are: AI for Business, Computer Vision, AI Solutions Architect.
Work-life balance: not a dream, but a system
‘I’ll rest after work’ doesn’t work if there are no clear rules. Without boundaries, work creeps into your entire day, evening, and weekend.
Set digital boundaries:
- After 8 p.m. — laptop closed (physically)
- Saturday — NO work chats
- Sunday — phone on silent mode
For freelancers: Yes, clients can write on weekends. But you can respond on Monday. Boundaries teach people to respect you. The absence of boundaries teaches you not to respect yourself.
Radical notification detox
Every notification steals 5-10 minutes of your attention (including the time it takes to return to the task).
Solution
- Turn off ALL notifications except for calls and 2-3 critical messengers
- Push notifications only from the bank and ‘Air raid alert’
- News, social networks, work chats — check them on a schedule (10:00, 14:00, 18:00)
Result: After a week, your brain will no longer be in a state of constant anxiety. Productivity will increase by 30-40%.
Financial cushion 2.0
The classic advice of ‘3 months of expenses in your account’ is no longer sufficient. Diversification is needed.
Financial cushion structure:
- 40% — hryvnia in a Ukrainian account (quick access)
- 30% — currency (EUR/USD) on Wise/Revolut or cash
- 20% — reserve account at a second bank
- 10% — ‘buffer fund’ (crypto, gold, accessible assets)
Automate: Set up an auto-payment to yourself immediately after payday. If you wait until the end of the month, there will be nothing left.
For more information on creating a family budget and financial life hacks that will help you save 2,000-4,000 UAH per month, read our separate article on family finances.
Apartment security: preparedness for power outages
Why this is important now
During power outages, the lights flicker and the voltage fluctuates. Leaving your apartment unattended is risky. But there is a solution that works even without electricity.
Smart lock + code panel
Problem: If something happens (fire, leak, need to let someone in urgently) and you are not at home, a regular key will not help.
Solution: Nuki Smart Lock 4.0 Pro — open your door from anywhere in the world using your smartphone. Installs in 15 minutes WITHOUT replacing the cylinder. Works with Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa.
Critically important: Add the Nuki Keypad 2.0 to your smart lock. It works via Bluetooth — even when WiFi is turned off, you can open the door with a code or fingerprint. 20 fingerprints + 200 codes. Autonomous operation for up to 12 months.
Video surveillance camera
Problem: During power outages, anything can happen — from a short circuit to an attempted break-in.
Solution: Standalone WiFi camera with memory card recording. Battery-powered, night vision, motion sensor. Push notifications to your phone when motion is detected.
Practical scenario
The power is out, and you are at work. The camera’s motion sensor is triggered — notification to your phone. You watch online: someone is at the door.
With a smart lock, you can remotely check if the door is locked, open it for relatives or services, and view the visit log. With the camera, you can see the situation in real time and save the recording.
This is not paranoia — it is basic security in unstable conditions.
Physical security: not just about numbers
Self-defence training for the whole family
Digital security is good, but physical security is also important. Especially when it comes to family.
The Ukrainian Krav Maga Federation (operating since 2006, has conducted 1100+ seminars for 25,000 clients) is holding a New Year’s training session on 15 December entitled ‘Paranoid but Alive: Safety for the Whole Family’.
What’s included:
- The concept of personal safety
- A master class for children, ‘Break Free and Run Away’
- Training for parents, ‘Protection from Inadequate People’
- A workshop, ‘Protecting Your Child’
- A contest for RAT kits (‘everyday items’)
Details:
- Date: 15 December, 14:00-18:00
- Location: Kyiv, 121d Beresteyskyi Avenue, Legion Club
- Cost: 400 UAH per family
For 2025, you can register in advance for courses:
- ‘Be your own bodyguard’ (from situational readiness to the legal limits of self-defence)
- ‘Iron Lady’ (psychology of self-defence and practical techniques)
- ‘Grey Man’ (the art of being invisible, countering kidnapping)
- ‘Defensive shooting’ (from basic techniques to shooting when wounded)
- ‘Ultima Ratio: self-defence with a knife’
Pre-registration gives you a promo code for a 10% discount. Most of the advanced seminars in 2025 will only be announced in a closed Telegram chat.
As they say in the Federation:
‘Safety cannot be delegated, because your life is your responsibility.’
Digital evacuation kit
This is not paranoia — it is practical preparedness. It is better to have a plan that you will not need than to find yourself without a plan when you critically need one.
What should be in your digital kit:
- Scans of all documents (passport, ID, diploma, licence)
- Contacts of loved ones (do not rely solely on your phone)
- Access to finances (instructions for relatives)
- Medical information (allergies, blood type, chronic diseases)
- Passwords for critical accounts (encrypted in Bitwarden)
Where to store:
- Main storage: Google Drive with 2FA
- Backup: external drive with relatives
- Offline: flash drive in a safe place
Format: PDF + high-quality photos (minimum 300 dpi).
Where to start right now
You don’t have to do everything at once. Here’s the minimum for the next three weeks:
Week 1: Security
- ✅ Digitise your employment record book on the PFU portal
- ✅ Install Bitwarden
- ✅ Enable 2FA via 2FAS
Week 2: Balance
- ✅ Turn off notifications (except critical ones)
- ✅ Set a rule: ‘no work after 8 p.m.’
- ✅ Plan a micro-trip (at least 50 km from home)
Week 3: Resilience
- ✅ Create a digital emergency kit
- ✅ Check your financial cushion
- ✅ Sign up for a free AI course
Resilience in 2026 is not about paranoia, but about conscious preparedness. It’s about controlling what you can control and having a plan for what you can’t control.
Every step on this list is an investment in yourself. And the best time to start is now.
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