An exception you haven’t named will expand. You’ll find a reason. The reason will grow. The principle quietly retires.
An exception you name stays bounded. You know what it is, why it exists, and when to revisit it.
My principle: minimize external dependencies. Every one gets documented. Then I added my personal calendar to my daily setup. Every session, it pulls from Google. That is a dependency.
I named it. Official connector, not a community package. Cross-device access requires it. Review in two weeks.
The review will lead somewhere specific: a dedicated mailbox, data classification, a processing level matched to what’s shared. The named exception builds its own governance. That is what organizations that take this seriously do.
The principle didn’t retire. The exception is bounded.
Two moves are common: hold the principle until you break it, or abandon it quietly until you realize you have none. The register is a third option. You keep the principle. You document where you’ve stepped off it. You know where you stand.
The discipline isn’t the rule. It’s the register.