January 12, 2026
Right now, millions are embracing Dry January to reset their health and productivity by ditching alcohol.
Your business has a similar opportunity: a list of damaging tech habits holding you back.
These are the digital equivalents of unhealthy cocktails, slowing your progress and increasing risks.
We all recognize these problematic behaviors, yet we let them persist with excuses like "it's easier" or "we're too busy."
But ignoring them only leads to trouble.
Here are six critical tech habits to eliminate immediately—and smarter habits to put in their place.
Habit #1: Postponing Software Updates with "Remind Me Later"
That tempting button to delay updates causes far more damage to small businesses than cybercriminals themselves.
We understand—no one wants unexpected restarts during work hours. But updates do more than add features; they close dangerous security gaps hackers are actively exploiting.
Deferring updates leads to running vulnerable software—essentially leaving your digital front door wide open.
Remember the WannaCry ransomware attack? It targeted a flaw patched months earlier, but victims ignored update prompts repeatedly.
The fallout shut down businesses across 150 countries, costing billions.
Take action now: Schedule updates for off-hours or let your IT team handle them silently in the background—no interruptions, no security gaps.
Habit #2: Using a Single Password for Everything
We all have that one "go-to" password—easy to remember, meets basic requirements, and used everywhere from email to banking and old forums.
The problem? Data leaks are frequent, and those credentials often end up on hacker marketplaces.
Cybercriminals don't guess your banking password; they already have it and just try it across your accounts.
This tactic, known as credential stuffing, drives a huge percentage of breaches because your "strong" password becomes a universal master key.
Quit this habit today: Use a trusted password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden. You'll only need to remember one master password, while it creates and stores complex, unique passwords for all your accounts—boosting security with minimal effort.
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords via Email or Messaging Apps
It's common to quickly send login details over Slack, text, or email to team members.
But these messages linger indefinitely—in inboxes, backups, and cloud storage—making your passwords easily searchable and vulnerable if any account is compromised.
Imagine mailing your house keys on a postcard—that's what you're doing with unsecured password sharing.
Better approach: Use the secure sharing features of password managers, which allow access without revealing the actual password. Access can be revoked instantly, preventing permanent exposure. If you must share manually, never send full credentials in one place, and change passwords right after.
Habit #4: Granting Admin Rights to Everyone for Convenience
To quickly solve one-off issues, you might have given many team members full admin privileges.
But admin rights allow users to install software, disable protections, modify critical settings, and delete essential files. If those credentials are stolen, hackers gain full control.
Ransomware exploits admin accounts to maximize damage swiftly.
Handing out admin rights like office keys because "it's easier" is a recipe for disaster.
Fix this: Adopt the principle of least privilege: give everyone only the access necessary to do their jobs—no more. A few extra setup minutes now can prevent costly breaches and accidental data loss later.
Habit #5: Letting Temporary Workarounds Become Permanent
When something breaks, we often create a quick fix and promise to address it properly later.
But "later" is often years away, and the workaround becomes the standard, despite added steps and reliance on tribal knowledge.
This unnecessary complexity drains productivity and makes systems fragiler—if key personnel leave or software changes, the whole process can collapse.
Break the cycle: List all workarounds your team uses. Instead of struggling alone, partner with specialists who can replace these temporary fixes with permanent, reliable solutions—saving you time and headaches.
Habit #6: Relying Entirely on a Single Spreadsheet for Business Operations
Every business has that one massive Excel file juggling numerous tasks with complex formulas known only to a few.
What if it gets corrupted or the key person leaves? The fallout can be catastrophic.
Spreadsheets lack proper audit trails, don't scale, can't easily integrate with other tools, and are rarely backed up well. Building critical systems on them is like relying on digital patchwork.
Upgrade your systems: Document what the spreadsheet handles and replace it with purpose-built software: CRM for clients, inventory systems, scheduling platforms—with backups, permissions, and audit logs. Spreadsheets are excellent for data analysis, but fragile foundations for your business-critical workflows.
Understanding Why Bad Tech Habits Persist
You already know these habits are risky. The issue isn't ignorance—it's being pressed for time.
These bad habits stick because:
- Problems remain hidden until disaster strikes, like password reuse working fine until breach day.
- The proper approach can feel slower moment-to-moment, e.g., setting up a password manager vs. typing a memorized password.
- When everyone on the team uses risky shortcuts, it feels normal and harmless—even though it's not.
Just like Dry January highlights the habit of drinking, making the invisible dangers visible forces change.
How to Break These Habits Without Relying on Willpower
Success in Dry January comes from changing your environment, not sheer determination.
The same applies to your business tech environment.
Leading companies break bad tech habits by making safe choices the easiest options:
- Company-wide deployment of password managers removes unsafe sharing options.
- Automatic updates eliminate procrastination on critical patches.
- Centralized permission management prevents unnecessary admin access.
- Replacing workarounds with robust solutions reduces errors and confusion.
- Moving critical data from spreadsheets to specialized tools enhances security and reliability.
Transformations like these make the right behavior effortless and the bad habits hard to maintain.
A dedicated IT partner doesn't just advise—they redesign your systems so secure, efficient practices become the defaults.
Ready to Eliminate the Habits Holding Your Business Back?
Schedule a Bad Habit Audit with us today.
In just 15 minutes, we'll assess your current challenges, outline your unique risks, and provide a customized roadmap for permanent improvement.
No pressure. No jargon. Just a safer, more efficient, and profitable 2026 awaits.
Click here or give us a call at 336-904-2445 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Some habits deserve a cold-turkey break—and this January is the perfect time to take that step.
