Why does schema review triggers fail?

The most common reason schema review triggers fails: Defining triggers that are too vague to act on. 'Review when things feel off' is not a trigger — it's a wish. The whole point of trigger conditions is that they fire whether or not you feel like reviewing. If your trigger requires you to already suspect a problem, it's not a trigger. It's a post-hoc rationalization.

The fix: Pick your most consequential active schema — a decision framework, a hiring rubric, a mental model you use weekly. Write down three specific, observable conditions that should trigger you to review it. For each trigger, define the threshold (how much deviation), the evidence source (where you'd see it), and the response (what review action you'd take). Put these triggers where you'll actually encounter them — a recurring calendar check, a dashboard alert, a note pinned to the schema itself.

The underlying principle is straightforward: Define specific signals that should prompt you to re-evaluate a schema.