January 12, 2026
Right now, millions are embracing Dry January by cutting out alcohol to boost their health, productivity, and finally stop delaying change with "I'll start Monday" excuses.
Your business has a similar "Dry January" list — but instead of cocktails, it's filled with outdated and risky tech habits.
These habits are well-known pitfalls. Everyone recognizes they waste time or heighten risk, yet they persist because "it's fine" or "we're too busy."
Until suddenly, it isn't fine.
Discover six harmful tech habits to eliminate immediately, plus smarter alternatives to replace them.
Habit #1: Procrastinating Software Updates by Clicking "Remind Me Later"
This little button has endangered small businesses more than any hacker attack.
We understand — inconvenient restarts disrupt your day. But these updates aren't just new features; they plug security gaps actively targeted by cybercriminals.
Delaying updates from days to weeks, then months, leaves your systems vulnerable with known security flaws hackers can exploit.
Remember the devastating WannaCry ransomware? It exploited a security flaw patched months earlier by Microsoft — yet victims had repeatedly clicked "Remind Me Later."
The fallout? Billions lost across 150+ countries as businesses shut down abruptly.
Action step: Schedule updates at day's end or let your IT provider handle automatic background installations. This prevents unwelcome restarts, seals security gaps, and keeps your operations running smoothly.
Habit #2: Using a Single Password for Everything
You probably have a go-to password that "meets requirements," feels strong, and is easy to remember. You use it everywhere—email, banking, shopping sites, and obscure forums from years ago.
The problem? Data breaches leak millions of login credentials constantly. That forgotten forum's database was likely sold on the dark web last year, exposing your email-password combo.
Hackers don't guess your banking password — they already have it and simply try it across your accounts. This tactic, called credential stuffing, causes countless break-ins.
Action step: Switch to a password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden. With one master password, it creates and stores complex, unique passwords for every login. Setup takes minutes, but the protection is lifelong.
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords via Text or Email
Exchanging passwords through Slack, SMS, or email feels quick and easy — but those messages live forever in sent folders, inboxes, backups, and archives.
If anyone's email gets compromised, attackers can search "password" and instantly steal every shared credential.
It's like mailing your house key on a postcard.
Action step: Use password managers that offer secure sharing without revealing the actual password. You can revoke access anytime, and no sensitive data lingers in emails. If manual sharing is unavoidable, split details across channels and change the password immediately afterward.
Habit #4: Granting Admin Rights to Everyone for Convenience
Someone once needed to install software or adjust a setting, so instead of carefully assigning permissions, you made them an admin.
Now, many team members have admin rights, granting them power to install software, disable security, alter settings, or delete files. A single compromised admin account could wreak havoc.
Ransomware exploits admin privileges to maximize damage rapidly.
Giving everyone admin access because it's "easier" is akin to handing everyone the safe's key due to one person needing a stapler.
Action step: Adopt the principle of least privilege—grant access strictly on a need-to-have basis. Spending a few minutes assigning precise permissions saves you from costly security incidents and accidental data loss.
Habit #5: Letting Temporary Fixes Become Permanent Procedures
A quick workaround fixes a problem temporarily—"We'll address this later." That was years ago, and now the workaround is just "how we do things."
Though it might add extra steps and require staff to remember tricks, it gets work done—so why change?
Because repetitive inefficiencies multiply across your team and days, resulting in massive productivity loss.
Even worse, these stopgap methods are fragile—dependent on specific conditions, certain software versions, or staff memory. When changes happen (and they do), systems fail, and no one knows how to fix them properly.
Action step: List all such workarounds used by your team. Don't try fixing them alone; instead, partner with experts to replace temporary hacks with long-term, reliable solutions that save time and frustration.
Habit #6: Relying on a Single Massive Spreadsheet to Run Your Business
You know that complex Excel file—dozens of tabs and formulas that only a few, sometimes former staff, understand.
If it becomes corrupted or its keeper leaves, what's your backup plan?
This "spreadsheet system" is a fragile single point of failure.
Spreadsheets lack audit trails, don't scale, can't easily integrate with other tools, and often aren't backed up properly. They may be great for calculations but terrible as core business platforms.
Action step: Document the business functions supported by the spreadsheet, then explore dedicated software designed for those tasks—like CRM systems for customer data, inventory management tools, or scheduling platforms. These solutions offer backups, user permissions, and audit capabilities, so critical knowledge isn't siloed.
Why Breaking These Habits Is Challenging
You probably recognize these habits as bad—but you're busy, and that's why they persist.
- Consequences are unseen until disaster strikes. Reusing passwords seems harmless until a breach happens all at once.
- Proper methods seem slower upfront. Setting up a password manager takes time, but typing memorized passwords feels faster—until you factor breach costs.
- If everyone's doing it, it feels normal, not risky. Normalizing poor practices hides their danger.
This is why Dry January is effective: it brings habits into the open and breaks autopilot behaviors.
How to Successfully Quit Tech Habits Without Sheer Willpower
Willpower alone rarely overcomes bad habits—it's about shaping your environment.
Thriving businesses don't rely on discipline; they redesign processes so the right behaviors are effortless:
- Company-wide password manager rollouts eliminate unsafe password sharing.
- Automatic update pushes remove "remind me later" procrastination.
- Centralized permission management stops needless admin rights distribution.
- Replacing workarounds with durable solutions removes risky tribal knowledge.
- Shifting spreadsheets to robust systems ensures backups and controlled access.
The right way becomes the easy way—making bad habits untenable.
That's the value a skilled IT partner offers—not lectures, but practical system changes that make secure, productive habits the norm.
Ready to Break Free from Tech Habits Holding Back Your Business?
Schedule a Bad Habit Audit with us.
In just 15 minutes, we'll explore your business's pain points and deliver a clear, actionable plan to fix them for good.
No pressure. No confusing jargon. Just a streamlined, secure, and more profitable 2026.
Click here or give us a call at 336-310-0277 to book your Discovery Call.
Because some habits deserve a cold turkey approach.
And January is the perfect moment to start.
