At the start of a new year, it’s hard not to get swept up in the allure of New Year’s resolutions: Setting goals you want to achieve or pinpointing the bad habits you want to break.
For many people, breaking bad habits can be easier when you swap a not-so-great behavior out for a healthier option, Margaret Moore, founder of Wellcoaches Corporation, a school for coaches of healthcare and well-being experts, told CNBC Make It in 2023.
Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff, PhD, suggests trying “tiny experiments” with habits you’d like to introduce into your life instead of setting huge goals that can be unrealistic. It’s significant to “withhold judgment until you’re done conducting your experiment,” Le Cunff told CNBC Make It last week.
In 2026, I’m simply looking to do less. My past few years have involved starting each day with a minimum of 10 items on my to-do list. This year I want to get that list down to five tasks, or less.
I talked to my fellow CNBC Make It staff members about the bad habits they want to break this year and there were a few common themes. Here’s what stood out.
