Question
How do I practice schema migration?
Quick Answer
Pick one belief or mental model you've updated in the last year. Write it down as 'Old schema: X → New schema: Y.' Then list every decision, habit, relationship, or system that was built on the old schema. For each one, mark it: already migrated, needs migration, or can't migrate yet. You now have.
The most direct way to practice schema migration is through a focused exercise: Pick one belief or mental model you've updated in the last year. Write it down as 'Old schema: X → New schema: Y.' Then list every decision, habit, relationship, or system that was built on the old schema. For each one, mark it: already migrated, needs migration, or can't migrate yet. You now have a migration plan.
Common pitfall: Updating the schema in your head while leaving the downstream systems untouched. You'll notice this when your new understanding keeps colliding with your old behavior — you believe in delegation but still review every pull request, you believe in rest but still feel guilty on weekends. The belief migrated. The infrastructure didn't.
This practice connects to Phase 16 (Schema Evolution) — building it as a repeatable habit compounds over time.
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