Write down what never leaves your machine

It is easy to make good privacy decisions in theory and then forget them the moment you are busy and just need an answer fast. The fix is a short written list, kept somewhere visible, naming exactly what kinds of information stay on your own machine no matter what. I keep mine short on purpose, just a few lines, because a list I actually reread beats a longer one I stop checking. Client names tied to sensitive details, financial figures, anything with someone's private information attached.

Having the list written down removes the need to think it through every single time. You just check the list, and the decision is already made. This matters most on your busiest days, which are exactly the days a shortcut is most tempting.

Update the list as your business changes. What counts as sensitive in one type of work might be completely different in another.

Try this today: write your private-information list on paper or in a note you keep open, and put it somewhere you will see it before you paste anything into an AI tool.