Millions of people are doing Dry January right now.
They’re cutting out the one thing they know isn’t good for them—because they want to feel better, think clearer, and stop pretending “I’ll start Monday” is a plan.
Your business has a Dry January list too.
It’s just made of tech habits instead of cocktails.
At Mirrored Storage, we see these habits every day. Not because business owners don’t care—but because they’re busy, growing, and trying to keep things moving.
Until something breaks.
Here are six tech habits worth quitting cold turkey—and what to do instead.
Habit #1: Clicking “Remind Me Later” on Updates
That little button causes more damage to small and mid-sized businesses than most people realize.
Updates aren’t about shiny new features. They exist to patch known security holes—the ones attackers already know how to exploit.
When updates get delayed for weeks or months, systems stay exposed. And when an incident happens, it’s rarely a mystery why.
Quit it:
Schedule updates after hours or let a managed IT partner handle them automatically. At Mirrored Storage, we make sure updates happen quietly, consistently, and without disrupting your day.
Learn more about how proactive IT management reduces risk and downtime at
👉 https://mirroredstorage.com
Habit #2: Using the Same Password Everywhere
Almost everyone has a “go-to” password.
It meets the rules.
It’s easy to remember.
And it gets reused everywhere.
The problem? When any service gets breached, attackers reuse stolen credentials across email, accounting systems, cloud tools, and more. One password becomes a master key.
Quit it:
Use a password manager company-wide. One strong master password per person, unique passwords everywhere else. It’s one of the simplest, highest-impact security upgrades you can make.
We regularly write about identity security, passwords, and MFA best practices on our blog:
👉 https://mirroredcloud.com/blog
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords via Email, Text, or Chat
“Can you send me the login?”
And just like that, a password lives forever:
- In inboxes
- In chat logs
- In cloud backups
If any account is compromised, attackers can search message histories and collect credentials in minutes.
Quit it:
Use secure credential-sharing tools that grant access without exposing the actual password—and allow access to be revoked instantly.
This is one of the first things we clean up when onboarding new clients, because it removes risk and friction at the same time.
Habit #4: Making Everyone an Admin Because It’s Easier
Someone needed to install something once.
Admin access felt like the fastest solution.
Now multiple people have the ability to:
- Install or remove software
- Disable security tools
- Change system-wide settings
- Delete critical data
If an admin account gets phished, attackers gain full control instantly.
Quit it:
Follow the principle of least privilege. People should have exactly the access they need—nothing more. It takes a little more thought up front and dramatically limits the damage of mistakes or attacks.
This is a core part of how Mirrored Storage designs secure, resilient environments.
Habit #5: “Temporary” Fixes That Became Permanent
Something broke.
A workaround got the job done.
“Let’s fix it properly later.”
Later never came.
Over time, these workarounds:
- Waste hours of productivity
- Depend on tribal knowledge
- Break when systems or staff change
They create fragile operations held together by memory and luck.
Quit it:
Write down the workarounds your team relies on. Then replace them with stable, documented solutions that don’t depend on heroics.
This is exactly the kind of operational cleanup we help businesses tackle—quietly, methodically, and without disruption.
Habit #6: The Spreadsheet That Runs the Business
You know the one.
One spreadsheet.
Too many tabs.
Formulas nobody fully understands.
Created by someone who no longer works here.
That spreadsheet is a single point of failure.
Spreadsheets are great tools—but terrible platforms for mission-critical processes. They don’t scale well, don’t audit cleanly, and often aren’t backed up the way people assume.
Quit it:
Document the process the spreadsheet supports, then move that process into systems designed for reliability, access control, and recovery.
Business continuity isn’t just about backups—it’s about removing hidden failure points.
Why These Habits Stick Around
You already know most of these are bad ideas.
They persist because:
- The consequences stay invisible until they’re catastrophic
- The “right way” feels slower in the moment
- Everyone else does it, so it feels normal
Dry January works because it breaks autopilot.
So does fixing your tech habits.
How Businesses Actually Break These Habits
Not through willpower.
Through better systems.
The healthiest organizations:
- Automate updates
- Standardize password management
- Centralize permissions
- Eliminate workarounds
- Remove single points of failure
The right behavior becomes the default.
That’s the difference between having IT and having a technology partner.
Ready to Quit the Habits Quietly Hurting Your Business?
At Mirrored Storage, we help businesses reduce risk, improve resilience, and simplify technology—without judgment or jargon.
If you’re ready to stop carrying invisible tech debt, start with a short conversation.
Learn more about our approach at
👉 https://mirroredstorage.com
And explore practical guidance on security, continuity, and cloud best practices at
👉 https://mirroredcloud.com/blog
Because some habits are worth quitting cold turkey.
And January is a very good time to start.