Easy Answer? No Such Thing
As others properly note, they got into this situation for exactly the reasons that the thread opener asks. High-time, long personal association, long experience on type (probably the same specific aircraft) and the like. Habits like these are nearly impossible to break and comments like, "We always do it this way," and "We know this airplane inside and out," are not rare.
One of the genuine hallmarks of the 'real' professional is to assume nothing and conduct the inspections and setups from scratch, Every Single Time. As this situation demonstrates, super-efficiency and perhaps saving a whopping five minutes is never worth the risk.
I do not know how to break that mold, but I hope someone figures out a good way to do so.
I must add that I do NOT understand how/why any pilot would/could release brakes without first performing a full range control surfaces test. If the results dictate a shutdown and further inquiry, so what? Even a C172 student pilot understands that one cannot control an airplane with locked controls - and V1 is darn sure not the place to discover the problem. Ouch!
Last edited by No Fly Zone; 12th Sep 2015 at 17:30.
Reason: Addendum