{"id":6526,"date":"2020-01-09T12:27:11","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T16:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=6526"},"modified":"2021-11-11T13:05:02","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T17:05:02","slug":"prepare-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/prepare-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepare for Change: Tips From Who Moved My Cheese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We all experience change in our lives. It can be distressing or rewarding, depending on our approach. Who Moved My Cheese<\/em> is a parable that demonstrates in practical terms how to handle change<\/a> better and avoid pitfalls, by practicing a few key principles: anticipate and prepare for change, overcome fears<\/a>, envision success, and enjoy change. By depicting simple, memorable characters and scenarios, the parable gives you a framework for responding to change successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning to prepare for change comes at the beginning of the process of dealing with change<\/a>, but it’s one of the most important steps. The better you can prepare for change, the easier the transition will be. Learn how this applies both at work and in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

A Road Map for Preparing for Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Who Moved My Cheese<\/em>, a bestseller by Spencer Johnson published in 1998, is a parable about the inevitability of change, the ways in which we typically deal with it, and how revising our attitude toward change can reduce stress and increase success. Like all parables, it\u2019s told as a story that you can relate clearly to your life. Before we discuss why we need to prepare for change, let’s look at the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parable unfolds in a maze, where four characters \u2014 two mice (Sniff and Scurry) and two tiny humans (Hem and Haw), search for cheese, which represents happiness. They get pretty good at this. The mice use their simple, rodent-specific talents of sniffing out cheese and scurrying around until they find it. Hem and Haw use their human thinking and analytical skills to also find cheese. They find a huge supply and all four enjoy its benefits for quite a while.
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One day the maze dwellers confront a crisis: The cheese is gone. All four characters must adapt in one way or another to their changed circumstances. 
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The mice are the best equipped at the outset because they have prepared for change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n