Who Moved My Cheese ? An Amazing Way to Deal With Change - Dr. Spencer Johnson

Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal With Change in Work And In Your Life

Mark out your safety and comfort factor

The allegory starts with four characters in search of cheese in a big maze. Sniff and Scurry are rats while Hem and Haw are little people — they are human, but the same size as the rats.

Every day they get up in the morning walking through the corridors of the maze, hoping to find their cheese. While the mice act instinctively, the elves used their more developed brains to reflect on the chosen paths. Still, one day all four found the great Station C, packed with cheese.

Since then, the little people started to wake up a little later and calmly get back there, confident that they would have cheese for the rest of their lives. They moved closer to station C, starting a new social life. They felt happy and secure.

The mice, on the other hand, continued waking up early every day, always following the same path. They’d arrive at Station C and enthusiastically make an inspection of the cheese to make sure it's in good condition.

From this, we can see a routine in the characters’ lives. They know that the cheese is their comfort source, after all, it’s what they sought. Likewise, identify what’s your cheese.

What brings you comfort and safety?

What are the things you take for granted?

Where do you support yourself?

Change is inevitable; anticipate it and monitor the situation

Hem and Haw quickly grew accustomed to the new status quo. They would arrive at Station C and eat cheese. The little people thought the cheese was a fair reward for all their hard work, so they clung to it as if it were part of their identities.

Sniff and Scurry, on the other hand, had a habit of sniffing the cheese, and to inspect all areas of Station C, realizing the stock was starting to reduce.

And then one day the cheese ran out. Sniff and Scurry were not surprised; they put on their running shoes and again entered the corridors looking for a new spot. The little people, however, got the shock of their lives. They arrived late and thought that someone had moved their cheese. Hem was enraged and yelled that it wasn’t fair. Haw was deadened, unable to react.

Changes will happen, whether you seek them or if they’re imposed by circumstances. After marking out your comfort zone, don’t ever consider it immutable. Analyzes constantly, observe your surroundings, look for signs that something may change. If you are alert to changes, if you anticipate them, then you will never be caught off-guard.

Even the biggest cheese doesn’t last forever, so try to see change coming. No supply of cheese can last forever. Change is always bound to happen, sooner or later. Instead of fooling yourself that things will stay the same forever, always keep an eye open for change.

Stop thinking too much about your cheese and start chasing it

The little people continued to visit station C with the hope that the cheese would return. They thought this could be a passing predicament and that soon someone would replenish the stock. They’d get to the station late and remain sitting there until they return to their homes late at night and hungry.

The mice continued their search and finally discovered Station N. There were a new cheese and a greater stock than that of station C.

Eventually, Haw began to wonder where Sniff and Scurry were and his desire to go into the maze increased. He tried to convince Hem to leave station C and to seek a new one, but Hem didn't agree.

When change comes and takes away your security of source, accept it. Let go of what you have lost because as you cling to the past, you deprive yourself of the future. Think about what you can do to improve your situation.

Every minute you spend wondering what success looks like, how to achieve it, whether it’s possible and how you’ll feel in the future is a minute not spent working towards it. Humans are complicated beings, but that doesn’t mean we have to make everything complicated.

Be more like mice and just start running!

The little people started to weaken from hunger and stress. Haw knew that the situation was already at the limit and couldn’t wait any longer. He realized it was ridiculous to continue doing the same things expecting different results. Then he laughed at his foolishness.

Hem remained angry and grumpy; he thought it was a bad idea to go back out in the maze. Perhaps there could be no more cheese out there, and even if there was it may never be found.

Seeing that he'd never be able to change his friend's mind, Haw left a message on the wall: “If you don’t change, you will die”, and started running through the corridors. He wasn't sure, but he was certain that to go on a new search was better than to sit and wait.

The only way to overcome the losses is by looking forward. Draw out new plans and set out to achieve them.

Don’t give in to fear, there’s always new cheese to be found. The moment you start moving, things will improve

As Haw walked through the maze, he realized he wasn’t the same. He was weakened and no longer had much strength. To make things worse, he was faced with many dark halls and was afraid of what they could hide. It would be easier to retreat to the path he knew well.

But he was also well aware that the only way to find new cheese was going to go where he had never been. He wondered what he would do if he was fearless, and the answer was clear: follow a new path, and that’s exactly what he did.

It didn’t take long for him to start feeling good. The fact that he didn’t have cheese and didn’t even know where he was going gave him a sense of freedom, hidden on the other side of fear. Also, he realized that you really don't have to eradicate fear to overcome it. Moving on, even if you're scared, is enough.

Fear is a major cause of paralysis; it turns into a great excuse to stay in your comfort zone.

First, realize that fear exists, accept it and ask yourself if it’s that bad. What’s the worst thing that could happen? What would you do if it happened? Prevent the worst as best as you can and move on.

Haw went a long time without finding anything, and many were the days when he felt alone. This wasn’t only a more difficult search than the previous one as it was unassisted. He wished Hem would be with him and considered returning to Station C.

However, Haw realized at some point that sometimes, your path is yours alone, and it is up to you follow it. Haw knew that he would feel better if he kept going and it was his only option if he wanted to find New Cheese.

When you start pursuing your goal, it’s natural to feel more distant from those who don’t share your vision. It’s all right, be aware that this is part of the process.

Have a well-defined purpose

As Lewis Carroll once said: ”If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Having a clear objective gives you hope, momentum and the alertness to understand the clues that point you to the way.

As Haw started to feel demotivated on his journey, he thought of a large hall packed with his favorite cheese and imagined tasting them. The image brought him energy and hope, giving meaning to his search.

The turning point is always distancing from the situation. If you look at your condition from a different point of view, you will realize how ridiculous your negative thoughts and insecurities were.

Lose the stern face and uptight attitude; don’t take yourself too seriously. Allow yourself to take a few steps back and see the whole picture. Is what you’re doing helping you? Is there some attitude that hinders it’s you? Most likely, yes; but don’t make it the end of the world or blame it for your failures.

Embrace your insecurities with love and laugh at your flaws. This is the best way to own them and start to change them.

Also, always be aware that you will experience some failures on your journey to fulfillment, but never let it deter you. Failures are natural; instant hits are rare. Learn from your missteps and disappointments, and you will be increasingly prepared to get where you want.

Don't ever be afraid to try something new; never let your past disappointments stop you from going all out for what you want.

As you cling to the familiar, comfortable, that which you’ve already had, you close the doors to the new. How do you know if there is something better out there if you don’t give yourself the chance to try?

Understanding the importance of your believes will help you keep an open mind

After some time, Haw ran into a few bits of new cheese. He ate some and put the others in his pocket. He regained strength and became excited. Even if he didn’t like the fact that he only found bits of cheese, he was satisfied with the search. He walked the corridors of the maze with a clear vision of what he wanted and also enjoyed every step he took. He had no insecurities or fears. He had realized that the real situation is never as terrifying as the one he created in his mind.

Your attitude to keep moving forward will be a rich depot of energy for you to draw from on your way towards fulfillment. If you stay positive and determined, you will realize that you're not as weak or powerless as you made yourself out to be.

Keeping a positive attitude on your journey, come what may, is perhaps one of the great secrets to happiness. After all, it is never at the end of the road.

If in the race for success you forget to enjoy your steps, you’re probably on the wrong path and are likely to end up in the wrong place.

Haw, reflecting on what led to this change of perspective, noticed the evolution of his beliefs. At Station C, he believed he couldn’t journey deep into the maze, and there would be hidden dangers in the corridors, and that his effort would be for nothing.

Then he was grateful for keeping an open mind and allowing himself to reassess his beliefs. He promised then never to make them absolute and always be open to trying new things.

Here is the truth about life: To limit your beliefs is to limit your development. Be careful with what you believe because you’re likely to adjust your perceptions of the world to get proof of your biases.

The only way to grow is to train yourself on how to get new stimuli without refusing them, seeking to understand them and transparently evaluating whether they make sense or not. Don’t say ‘no’ to things just because they don't align with your views or because they contradict your beliefs.

Haw realized that when you change what you believe, you change what you do. You can believe that a change will harm you and resist it. Or you can believe that finding New Cheese will help you and embrace the change. It all depends on what you choose to believe.

Learn from your journey and endeavor to share your knowledge and experience with others

While walking through the maze, Haw wrote his learnings on the walls. He inscribed the messages, hoping one day they would guide Hem.

• What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

• Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.

• Moving in a new direction helps you find new cheese.

• When you overcome your fear, you feel free.

• Imagining yourself enjoying new cheese, before you find it, leads you to it.

• The faster you forget old cheese, the quicker you find a new one.

• It is safer to search the maze than being left without cheese.

• Old beliefs don’t lead to the new cheese.

• When you believe you can find and appreciate new cheese, you change direction.

• Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to bigger changes that are to come.

Apart from helping others, sharing your learning and experience serves as a reminder. You embed these learnings in your subconscious the more you repeat them. As you reflect on it, you can discover even new connections.

Persistence is the key; you're closer than you think

After a long walk filled with reflecting and maturing, Haw finally found new cheese at cheese Station N! The piles were huge, and the stock was by far the largest he had ever seen. In fact, some of the cheese types were new to him as he had never seen them before. In the middle of the bounty, he found Sniff and Scurry.

Haw greeted his old friends and started picking up pieces of his favorite cheese. He took off his running shoes but kept them close in case he needed them again. He was grateful for having continued forward, although his mind insisted on creating the most complex truths to make him give up. He knew his maturity and persistence largely due to his ability to laugh at his foolishness

Simplify Things

As he stared at Sniff and Scurry savouring station N, Haw thought he could learn something from them. He knew that the human brain was wonderful and allowed exploits which the rats can't even imagine, but was also responsible for creating many barriers. There was something at which the rats were better exactly because they couldn’t have complex thoughts: simplifying things.

Haw could use his human brain to learn from the past and simplify his life from now on. He could have the best of both worlds. He needed to be flexible, not confuse himself with scary beliefs and adapt quickly.

To make sure he never forgot, Haw summarized his learning at Station N’s biggest wall of cheese:

• Changes happen, they keep moving the cheese;

• Anticipate change, get ready for the cheese to move;

• Monitor change, smell the cheese often to know if it’s old;

• Adapt quickly to change, the faster you forget the old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy the new;

• Move, get out of place as well as the cheese!

• Appreciate change, savor the adventure;

• Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again; they keep moving the cheese.

Conclusion

Nothing lasts forever. Even the biggest cheese will finish one day, so try to see change coming. Instead of seeing change as the end of something, you must learn to see it as a beginning. To make himself accept reality, Haw writes this on the wall of the maze: “If you don’t change, you will die.”

Holding on to the past is to deny a part of your life, hide it from consciousness. Acceptance, however, sheds light on those dark corners, letting you see things as they are, without fear, agitation, distress or regrets.

Try this:

Here’s what you should do when you feel someone has moved your cheese:

1. Don’t overthink the situation. Thinking too much about your cheese might paralyze you, so just start looking.

2. Nothing lasts forever, so always anticipate change and make sure it never catch you off-guard.

3. There’s always new cheese to be found, and the moment you start moving things will get better.