Who Moved My Cheese?

Being a bona fide member of the Dave Ramsey financial cult, it was my duty to read his list of recommended books. "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, M.D. is among them. If you're not familiar with the book, it's a story about two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two "little people," Hem and Haw.

The four live in a maze and feast on cheese daily. One day, they report to their Cheese Station to find the cheese gone. The mice, Sniff and Scurry had anticipated the change and were ready to adapt quickly. Sniff put his nose to the ground and Scurry scurried to implement the changes Sniff sniffed out. The little people, Hem and Haw wallowed in misery. How could someone move their cheese? It just wasn't fair! After hanging around the old cheese station for quite some time hoping their cheese would miraculously return, Haw decided to go out and find new cheese. Going out into the unknown was far less risky than staying where he was and starving to death.

I knew I what I was reading would be valuable to remember, so I posted the book's key points at my desk at work and on my refrigerator at home.

1) Change Happens

2) Anticipate Change

3) Monitor Change

4) Adapt to Change Quickly

5) CHANGE

6) Enjoy Change!

7) Be Ready to Change Quickly and Enjoy it Again and Again

I can't say I'm one who is afraid of change, but these are things I need to remind myself of frequently. While reading this book, I asked myself which character I am the most like. Am I Sniff who can easily predict changes and new trends? Am I Scurry who is quick to change when necessary? Am I Haw who drags my feet and refuses to change until I run out of options, or am I Hem who refuses to change no matter the cost? I still can't answer that with complete certainty, but I'm almost certain I am a Sniff. I can ususally see change before it comes, but I don't typically do anything about it. I wish I could be more like Scurry while retaining the characteristics of Sniff. Sometimes I need to hurry up and change so my vision can be realized.

I have ideas of how I can currently implement change in my life, with this cake thing being one of those areas to change, and I'm trying. I really am, but reprogramming your brain to naturally respond differently is difficult. I had this discussion yesterday with co-workers. One of them said it takes a full thirty days of doing something differently to be able to do it effortlessly. I guess the question to ask myself is, "How committed am I?" To quote the great poet Steve Miller in his song Jet Airliner, "You know you got to go through Hell before you get to Heaven."

Thirty days. Time to turn over that hour glass.