Book Report: Who Moved My Cheese?
The book is about managing change. It is a reflection of the saying ‘change is the only constant in life’. The book describes changes that take place in one’s life and work, and the different ways to react to it. It asserts that the onus lies on individuals to adapt to change, learn to be flexible, and develop an attitude to view change as a new opportunity. The author uses simple metaphors like cheese and mice to explain the concept of change and ways to deal with it, at work and in life. In the book, cheese represents those things that bring happiness and a feeling of attainment.
The book revolves around the story of two mice and two ‘littlepeople’, and their quest for cheese. They live in a maze. Initially, the two mice, Sniff and Scurry and the two littlepeople, Hem and Haw lead a normal routine life and look for cheese. Without cheese, each group works hard and travels long paths in search of cheese. Once found, the littlepeople build their life and routine around the discovered cheese. Believing that the supply of cheese is constant, they develop a definitive slag in their work. They lose focus and dedication towards achieving their goal. This holds true for human beings. We strived hard to become independent and get a good job. But, once we succeed, we become content and satisfied with what we have achieved. We settle down and build our lives around it. Humans have a natural tendency to be short sighted and hold on to the cheese, which may or may not be available in the future. In this regard, the author aptly remarks that ‘the more important the cheese is to you the more you want to hold on to it’.
The book depicts a contrast of how different people react differently in the same situation. While the littlepeople are merry about their unlimited supply of cheese, the mice had observed the decreasing supply of cheese and were prepared to take up the mammoth task of finding more cheese. Once the supply was over, the mice set out for their new journey of finding more cheese. The littlepeopeople, on the other hand, were surprised to see no cheese. They felt disappointed, angry and strongly believed that injustice has been done to them. Thus, mice and littlepeople reacted very differently in the same situation of no choose. The author shows that it takes a lot of courage and determination to quit the established comforts and set out for a new and risky journey. There are few people who can deal with such major transformations so well. Those who accept the change and flow with the change are the ultimate winners.
Personally, I can relate to various aspects of the book and develop an analogy in my real life situations. More so, I can align myself with the character of Hem. I struggled a lot to reach where I stand today. However, I became complacent after I found my cheese. Like Hem, I too had doubts about striving for new cheese. When I look back, I come across various instances when I refused to accept change. This affected my personal and professions growth. I lost opportunities in life just because they entailed a little change in my lifestyle and thought process. However, I realised my follies and set out to correct it.
Just like Hem, I was exhausted when my ‘cheese’ was no longer available. The absence of cheese made be vulnerable and weak. I blamed others for the wrong that happened to me. Such situations are difficult to tackle. But, continuing to live in the same position is often detrimental to growth. On introspection, I found complacence and fear of the unknown as the major reasons for my not accepting the change. To adapt to a change, one needs to start afresh. One needs to leave behind the existing comforts and walk into uncharted territories to respond to change. Hence, like Hem, I did not want to let go. For me, it was like choosing predictability over unpredictability. The obvious choice was blocking my vision. I had strived hard to find my cheese. Putting in the same amount of effort in something new that may or may not bear fruits was difficult for me. It took a lot of courage to embrace change and stand fearless. I feel happy that I had the glory of achieving it. And, now I can distinctly see that the movement was for better. In spite of the labour, the feeling of doing something and satisfaction derived from it is immense.
Partly, I can also align myself to the character of Haw. Change is not always sudden in life. Life gives enough clues to ensure that we are not caught unaware when the change hits us. In the story, when Haw reflects back on his days of luxury spent devouring the tasty cheese, he realises that he had ignored the fact that cheese supply was dwindling. I have done that many a times. I have been so engrossed in my present achievements that I have overlooked the upcoming aspects of it. I have ignored periodic analysis of the situation. And I have borne the consequences. I believe a lot of us experience similar situations in some points of their life. We fail to assess the forthcoming changes. Thus, we are late in grabbing opportunities and repent later. The concept holds true in businesses as well. Competition is no longer a fear factor or an obstacle. A successful business requires the art of identifying subtle changes in business environment and following the calling of heart. It may be taxing initially, but following these little cues can do wonders in today’s competitive scenario. It gives us competitive edge over others and saves us from waste of time.
The other aspect of Haw that I can relate myself to is the consequence of negative influence. Haw realises that the only way to tackle the situation is by finding more cheese. However, he is influenced by Hem and sits back. It is after sometime that he decides to follow his heart and leave alone. I have come across many such peers who masked my rightful thinking with their heavy negative influences. They are stuck to their point of view and are too stubborn to adapt to change. Not only this, they influence others to follow their path. Such people exist everywhere in our society. But, it is our responsibility to not get carried away by their thoughts. We need to come out of the shackles of such strong negative influences. I realised that following change is difficult, but essential to grow. At times, I also became a role model for the Hem characters in my life. I lead by example. I made a note of the key achievements in my journey that motivated me and helped others to follow the suit. The reward at the end of the arduous journey towards adapting to change is definitely much more than one expects. The courage, the fearlessness, the belief in oneself and the hard work entailed in this journey to change gives us rewards that make it really worth the efforts put in.
Setting towards a new journey and leaving behind the old cheese is not impossible. With faith and hard work, people can move mountains. The biggest force that can drive you towards a new goal is you yourself. Once, Haw made up his mind, it was easy for him to find the new cheese station. But, there are disappointments if we start late. Haw was disappointed to find out that he had reached the new cheese station a little late. I have been a laid back person and have faced consequences and disappointments for my delayed start.
In all, I have gained immensely from this book. The book is easy to understand given the use of simple words and simple metaphors like mice and cheese. Cheese refers to anything that is valuable for us, be it a job, a relationship or materialistic pleasure. It requires only determination to apply the concepts of the book to our real life situations. It gives me pride to mention that I have successfully changed my attitude towards change. There are five key learning from the book.
First, change is indispensible in life. It is not in our control. It will keep occurring in life, whether we like it or not. We have two options to deal with it. Either we confront and cry for what wrong has been done or flow with the tide. But since change is inevitable, it is better to make it a friend rather than foe. It is better to embrace it as a part of our journey of life. I have made peace with this reality. I am ready to cope better with potential changes or transformations in my life. Not only this, I have learnt to take cues from my environment to assess the likelihood of change to occur. It is essential to take changes seriously as they bring fortune and opportunities with them.
Second, changing attitude is a dynamic process. It is difficult to develop a positive attitude towards change, but it is important to take the first and determining step towards it. What follows will be easier to tackle than efforts required in building the initial momentum. And, I have noticed uplift, in my life and in my satisfaction level.
Third, I have learnt to believe in myself and be confident while venturing into the unknown territory. The book taught me to never lose hope and have a positive view of life. If the cheese in hand is gone, it is because there is another fresh cheese waiting for us to be discovered. It is just that it is not in from of us. We need to look for it. I am sure now I won’t go blank when someone asks me about my future plans. Reflections of past only make me laugh on the mistakes I have committed. However, there is not time to waste now and I have to strive hard to be a winner.
Fourth, I have been quite motivated by the saying, “If you do not change, you will become extinct”. The message has a strong effect and pulls me through the complacence and fear at the time of adversaries. Instead of frightening me, it serves as a driving force to let go of my old cheese, resist negative influences and move on.
Last but not the least, proper guidance is very important to develop a behavioural and attitudinal change. I give credit to Dr. Spencer Johnson, the author of the book, to have served as my guide. I am sure to make good of small milestones in life and them into opportunities. I am confident that, with perseverance, I will turn into a strong and independent individual who has the courage to face the most difficult challenges of life.
