For the shoulds that run you
The Rulebook Audit
Type a rule you've been running on autopilot — never uploaded, this stays on your device. Trace where it came from and what it's actually cost you this year, then decide: keep it, revise it, or retire it.
Questions people ask
Where is my rulebook stored?
In this browser only — nothing is sent anywhere. Clearing your cache or site data deletes it for good, so use "Print my rulebook" first if you want a copy you can keep.
What if I trace a rule and decide it's still worth keeping?
"Keep it" is a legitimate outcome, not a failed audit. The point of tracing where a rule came from and what it's cost is to make the choice conscious, not to talk you out of every rule you find — some rules earn their keep once you actually look at it.
Sources & further reading
- Pairs with this site's "I should… Because:" inventory format — the Phrase Finder tool surfaces the same "should" pattern by archetype.
- Externalizing an internalized rule and evaluating its origin and cost is a cognitive-restructuring move consistent with CBT's core technique of examining automatic thoughts (Beck).
- The keep/revise/retire framing draws on the same logic as un-shoulding work in ACT and schema-therapy approaches to "should" statements — treating a rule as a hypothesis to test, not a fixed law.