Millions of people try Dry January each year.
They cut something they know isn’t helping because they want to feel better, work better, and stop pretending “I’ll start Monday” is a plan.
Your business has a Dry January list too, only it’s made of tech habits.
You know the ones. Everyone recognizes they’re risky or inefficient. Everyone keeps doing them because “it’s fine” and “we’re busy.”
Until it isn’t.
Below are six tech habits to quit this month and what to do instead.
Habit #1: Clicking “Remind Me Later” on Updates
That little button causes more problems than it solves.
Nobody wants a restart midday, but updates often patch security issues that attackers actively target. “Later” becomes weeks, then months, and now you’re running software with known vulnerabilities.
well-known incidents have shown how unpatched systems increase risk. The fix is simple.
Quit it: Schedule updates for the end of the day or let your IT partner push them during maintenance windows. Fewer interruptions, fewer open doors.
Habit #2: Reusing the Same Password Everywhere
The password you like because it “meets requirements” becomes a liability when any site that stores it is breached. Attackers try leaked email/password pairs on other services called credential stuffing, and see what opens.
Quit it: Use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, etc.). You remember one strong master password; it creates and stores unique logins for everything else. Setup takes minutes and pays off fast.
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords Over Text or Email
“Can you send me the login?”
“Sure, email is admin@company.com and the password is …”
Quick, but now that credential lives in multiple inboxes and archives. If any account is compromised later, a simple search for “password” can expose it.
Quit it: Use your password manager’s secure sharing so teammates get access without seeing the actual password. Access can be revoked at any time. If you must share manually, change it immediately after.
Habit #4: Making Everyone an Admin Because “It’s Easier”
Someone needed to install something once, so they got full admin rights—and kept them. Broad admin access lets users (or attackers who steal their credentials) change settings, disable protections, and do widespread damage.
Quit it: Apply least privilege. Grant the minimum rights needed for the task, and use temporary elevation when required. It adds a few setup minutes and reduces a lot of risk.
Habit #5: “Temporary” Workarounds That Became Permanent
Something broke in 2019, you found a workaround, and it stuck. Three extra steps multiplied across people and days equals a lot of lost time. Workarounds also create fragility: when conditions change, the whole process can fail.
Quit it: Make a simple list of current workarounds. Don’t muscle through it alone, have your IT partner replace high-friction hacks with permanent fixes so the process is fast, clear, and resilient.
Habit #6: The Spreadsheet That Runs Your Business
One file, twelve tabs, complex formulas only a few people understand. If it corrupts or that knowledge holder leaves, what’s the plan? Spreadsheets are great tools, but fragile platforms.
Quit it: Document what the spreadsheet actually does (the business process), then move to systems built for the job: CRM for customers, inventory software for inventory, scheduling tools for schedules. You’ll get backups, audit trails, access controls, and fewer single points of failure.
Why These Habits Stick Around
You’re not uninformed, you’re busy.
- Invisible until they’re not. Reused passwords work… until the day they don’t.
- The “right way” feels slower in the moment. A manager takes time to set up; typing a memorized password takes seconds, until a breach.
- Normalization. If everyone shares passwords over chat, it feels normal.
Dry January works for some people because it breaks autopilot. Same idea here.
How to Actually Quit (Without Relying on Willpower)
Willpower fades. Environment wins.
The teams that change don’t do it with reminders, they change their setup so the easy thing is the secure thing:
- Company-wide password manager → no reason to send credentials in chat
- Automatic updates → no “remind me later”
- Central permissions → no blanket admin rights
- Retire workarounds → stable processes, less tribal knowledge
- Migrate critical spreadsheets → proper systems with backups and access controls
That’s what a good IT partner does: not lectures, but systems that make good habits the default.
Ready to Retire the Habits That Hold You Back?
Book a Bad Habit Audit.
In 15 minutes, we’ll learn about your environment and share a simple roadmap to reduce friction and risk this year.
No judgment. No jargon. Just practical next steps for a smoother, safer, faster 2026.
Schedule your 15-minute discovery call
Because some habits are worth quitting, and January is a good time to start.