Category: Book Club (Big Books & Short Books)

I have tried to summarise my significant key take aways from the book Eat that From by Brian Tracy.

I struggled to consolidate my content and make it less concentrated , however still you might find my learning relatively lengthy.

Epitomised content of Eat That Frog by Brian Stacy.

Procrastination : The determining factor which dictates the success and failure ratio of your life. If you scan the most successful people you might realise they are not extraordinary in terms of intelligence, however their ability to perform the tasks differently gives them a competitive edge. 

There are certain principles to adhere to and worth incorporating those in your daily life so that it becomes a habit. Once a habit is formed a human is automatically driven and propelled by his/her habits which he /she has developed over a period of time. The 3 d’s are essential for any habit to be ingrained in your subconscious mind. Decision, Discipline and Determination. These 3 D’s shall make your life a success or otherwise. The definiteness of purpose. The clarity with what you intend to accomplish will help you earn a few extra hours throughout your Day. The popular saying

Proper Planning Prevent Poor Performance holds true. A plan will help you visualise your end purpose , your task is immediate execution based on your planning. An excellent plan if not worked upon leads futile results, however an average plan if executed vigorously will hell you enhance the mental prowess, build your self esteem and help you gain confidence to accomplish much bigger milestones. The 10/90 principle focuses on the paramount significance of planning your each day . 10 to 20 minutes of your daily planning will help you save 100 to 120 minutes throughout your day. A diffused mind , a fuzzy mind will waste its unnecessary time evaluating the priority of sequences of activities which you need to accomplish. If you have planned out earlier your brain is informed prior and actions are taken accordingly. Setting subdeadlines and deadlines will give you a sense of accountability which will arouse a burning desire to accomplish what is on your priority list. Another Great attribute successful people possess is their adoption of Pareto principle. As per Vilfredo Pareto famous Italian Economists. Certain 10 to 20% of your activities will reap maximum benefits. While remaining 80 % of your tasks are trivial. We need to choose those prominent 10 % and 20%  tasks on a priority basis . Time management is life management and personnel management. The very first task which you pick shall be the most challenging one and this task will occupy its position amongst top 10 to 20% which when accomplished will add significant value . Its return on investment will be way higher as compared to remaining 80 % task. Time taken to accomplish both the tasks big major tasks and the trivial tasks same , however if we accomplish the major obstacles trivial ones just seems like no big deal

Consider the consequences: Long term vision will help you plan your short term goals. Identify the priority based on the consequences those tasks might have with regards to your professional life. 

Bent your energy towards the long term vision which will help you decide the short term goals. 

Obey the law of forced efficiency:

There will be no time for doing everything , however there will always be time for the most important task .

Prioritise 

Deadlines  are meant to be followed . Last minute hassle might mean compromising the quality and you might be asked to redo your task again.

Ask these three big questions to maximise the productivity:

1) What are my highest value activities?

2)What can I and only I do that if done well will make a real difference?

3)What is the most valuable use of my time right now?

Practice Creative Procrastination: Learn to say NO and choose those tasks which you can deliberately procrastinate. Low value tasks can be procrastinated as compared to your high value task. Choose priority over posteriority. Priority is what needs to be done on an urgent basis and the consequences are huge for either doing it or not doing it. Posteriority are trivial tasks having mild consequences

Prioritising your responsibilities: Powerful Priority Setting.ABCDE . Label your responsibilities As being the most important ones, the unavoidable tasks. Needs to complete these tasks before you begin any other. B’s are should do or must do however it has mild consequences if not done. C tasks are nice to do , however if you don’t accomplish it wont make any difference with regards to your professional achievement. D stands for delegating the responsibility , if you think this work can be outsourced and could be concluded by others delegate so that you have more time for your priority Tasks that are A categories. E are the ones which you can completely eliminate. The important task shall not be at the mercy of your Trivial tasks

 

Focusing on Key result areas: an employee is accountable for a particular outcome. Only he/she is in a position to accomplish this task . Identify those focused key areas and grade yourself , analyse your progress  and grade yourself based on how equipped you are in accomplishing your key focus areas. If need be seek constructive response from your managers and peers and ask them the possible scope of improvement. Identifying one such skill if you master will help you execute your job in excellent fashion.

 

Apply the law of three: Give yourself 30 seconds and chart down the 3 most important tasks which perform. The conscious mind will go on hyper drive. Remaining activities you can either delegate, downsize , outsource or eliminate . 

Focus more on your prominent activities to generate best results .

Prepare thoroughly before you begin:

If the necessary ingredients are laid , you will immediately jump into action. Prepare yourself thoroughly before you embark upon your task.

Ensure the environment is conducive and comfortable . Neater and cleaner environment will motivate you to take action immediately.

Take it one oil barrel at a time: At times the tasks seem intimidating . An example of Sahara desert travellers were not able to trace back their steps and never returned alive. Thereafter oil barrels were placed which will guide the tourists where and in which direction to take the next step. You just need to follow one barrel at a time and you will be able to sweep the great Sahara Desert. Taking simple steps will help you travel thousand leagues.

 

Upgrade your key skills:

It is mandatory to consistently upgrade your skill as certain skills might become obsolete. In order to survive one needs to thrive hard to be the best at one’s specific key area.At times we procrastinate because we are deficient with regards to key skills being important to master or excel at that task.

Never stop learning

Learning in never out of fashion.The more you learn all the more motivated and confident you will become and this will help resolve the issue of procrastination.Each and every skill is learnable  

Three steps to mastery

Leverage your special talents:

Identify your unique abilities and talents and work towards it so that you become the important contributing entity in your organisation with regards to that specific key area.

 

Identify the key constraints: There is always one choke point which inhibits or determines the speed with which you progress and accomplish your goals. Time and energy needs to be expended in identifying the limiting factor in your Special key area. Once you identify it , rigorous efforts need to be made to alleviate the very effect of this choke point.

The 80/20 rule applies for key constraints as well. 80% of the problems might be internal which resides within you or your organisation or your coworkers only 20% of the constraints might be external that is competitions, customers or government organisations.We need to scan the processes and each and every activities in detail in order to find the limiting factor or the key constraints which affect the pace of achieving our goals

Look into yourself : Successful people always analyse their efforts by asking what is it that is holding me back??

Look and inquire to find your causes and cure.

Strive for accuracy:

identifying the correct limiting factor or key constraint is of paramount significance. If you identified a wrong key constraint you will land up solving a different problem which isn’t making any difference to your success. Identifying the wrong constraint will head you in the wrong direction . Before you move up the ladder ensure it is leaned against the correct wall.

Put the pressure on yourself:

The requisite for gaining success is to focus physical and mental energy incessantly to one task.

Raise the bar or the standard , be the role model , be the leader. Only 2% of the people are self -sufficient. You need to mark your position amidst those 2% . Nobody will come at your rescue. You need to pressurise your own self. Self esteem is one of the core constituents of your personality . By definition self esteem is the reputation which you have for yourself. The more you pressurise yourself the more you will be able to accomplish an arduous task which an average achiever would otherwise quit.

Create Imaginary Deadlines: What if you just have one day to complete your most important task??

What is that one task that is absolutely necessary to accomplish exclusively before you go on a paid vacation for one week.

Maximise your personal Personal Powers: 

Gather in your resources, rally all your faculties, marshal all your energies, focus all your capacities upon mastery of at least one field of endeavor.

It is mandatory to retain high energy levels to boost high productivity.One needs to watch the diet as if it is fed to the world class athlete. Exercising 200 minutes per week is prescribed as the excellent standards for retaining and maintaining fitness. The physical , emotional and mental energy will drive the performance . Lack of energy means underproductivity and the task will be more prone to errors. Identify the time when your energy levels are at the peak and one shall accomplish all important tasks in that time duration. Rest and Rejuvenation is of paramount importance to focus on your task the  very next day.

Motivate yourself into action

It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and of creative action that man finds his supreme joys. 

Escalate your self esteem . Always be optimistic under any circumstance. Successful people never perceive obstacles as obstacles rather they find lessons to learn and see obstacles as instructions. Always be optimistic and interact with yourself on a daily basis. The more optimistic you become you will feel more confident and will plunge into the action mode immediately.

Get out of technological Time Sinks:

You have a Choice

Don’t become addicted

Technology is your friend

Take back your time

Standardise and delegate

Refuse to be a slave

A servant not a master

Continuous Contact is not essential

Technology is meant for efficient working and enabling communication worldwide. However don’t let it rule your lives . It is not mandatory for you to check all the emails you should be able to identify  trivial mails and click the delete button. Fe mails if does not demand an immediate attention will need to be transferred for referrals and those who deserve immediate attention needs to be responded on a priority basis.

It is also not a mandate to be available every time. If any task is worth giving immediate attention the reminders will be passed on by many. If not in your absence the tasks will be done, mission will be accomplished. 

Learn the art of delegating your responsibility ,insignificant tasks can be delegated to someone else which will result in the release of so many hours weekly. Just imagine what you could probably do with those hours which you never thought will be availed to you.

Incessant communication obstructs and creates hindrance . Resolve a few hours per day wherein you are disconnected with the communication technology of any kind. This will energise and recharge your mental battery .

Slice and dice the task:

The invisible thread will become a strong chord, irrevocable thought and act.

Salaami slice: This demands eating one slice at a time . you can apply the analogy with regards to an overwhelming, complicated big project at hand. Divide the task into slices and consume one slice at a time . Accomplishing smaller tasks will help you inch closer and closer to completion. There is an incessant urge to completion  which is termed as compulsion to closure . The more you inch towards completing your goal the more momentum you will gain and this will help you propel faster towards your goal. 

Swiss cheese a task: create a hole in your task which means just begin the task for first 7 to 10 minutes thereafter you can continue with remaining tasks. Just like making a hole in the cheese. These two techniques will help you deal with the big projects and will facilitate you in successful completion of the task

Create large chunks of time:

Schedule blocks of time

use a time planner

Make every minute count

The successful people pre plan his/her day and dedicate fixed hours for the most important task . This planning will help them save and consolidate small chunks of time into major chunks of time which you could utilise to conclude the most important task whose consequences are significant to your professional life.

Those big chunks of time ensure you utilise each and every minute . No distractions and no diversion.

Develop a sense of urgency:

Do it now

There is no perfect time. start from today , move from where you stand with whatever tools you have at your command . New tools will be identified and will be made available 

Develop a sense of urgency . Successful people invest time in planning and take immediate action . The faster you move the better you will become with respect to that field. The faster you move the more competent you will become. The faster you move , you will earn a reputation of an individual who concluded the task within the stipulated period of time with exceptional quality and finesse.

When you feel you are experiencing a lethargic attitude reiterate these words multiple times Do it now, Do it now , Do it now.

When you feel you are digressing from your priorities, remind yourself Get Back to Work , Get back to Work.

Single Handle Every task:

Consolidate and identify the big chunk of time . After you start working, persevere until the task is completely done . By incorporating this you are placing yourself on the ascending part of the spiral and the success is guaranteed. This is the best strategy to employ for high valued tasks. It saves 50 % of your time. Focus on the task and show the perseverance to complete it without any distraction and diversion. Self discipline , self mastery and self control are the three building blocks which will dictate your character and performance etiquettes.Self Discipline is defined as “the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

The above three building blocks when ingrained and becomes your second nature will surely guarantee success.

Regards,

Kinjal Morkhia

 

The favourite example for me from the book is the example of Facebook and its work culture, It talks about how it has an open office concept wherein the employees can freely interact and communicate with each other which is paradoxical to the idea of deep work as it leads to a lot of distractions and a majority of time is wasted in non-productive work.

I find the book fairly realistic as the examples given are from real life and we being a part of the working class and being in the same situation as described in the book can easily relate to it. The anecdotes are realistic and we can see them, in reality, happening in front of us.

I learned a lot of things from the book but the best was how busyness is perceived as being a symbol of efficiency and productivity. People tend to show that they are busy and working by replying to emails on time and being indulged in social media communication and by doing such shallow things, considering that this will give them an image of being diligent, hard-working and productive which is not always true.

If fortunately, I happen to meet the author of the book, I will definitely ask him to give ideas or suggestions to change our mindset and behaviour and to move towards deep work and to avoid doing shallow work mostly. Maybe some tips on how to come out of this paradoxical situation of deep work vs shallow work and to avoid the distraction of social media and internet while doing deep work.

In the beginning, when I started reading the book, I thought that this will be another boring book but as I read further, I started liking it especially second chapter onwards as it is full of real-life examples and anecdotes.

This book indeed changed my perception towards the work habit as even I used to feel that we must have an open work culture wherein we can interact and communicate with our colleagues and also answering to emails on time and being active on social media was considered to be imperative, but after reading the book I realised it’s going to affect my productivity and attention and will hamper the production of quality work.

Title of the book: Who moved my cheese?

Author: Dr. Spencer Johnson

The genre of the book: Self-help

Key Characters of the book: Two mice Sniff and Scurry and Little people Ham and Haw.

The setting of the book: A gathering (reunion of old friends), a maze with different cheese stations with Station C and Station N the main ones.

The plot of the book: Who moved my cheese is a fable about four characters who live in a maze and they all love cheese. When the cheese disappears, Scurry and Sniff enthusiastically head out into the maze to find new cheese. On the other hand Hem and Haw feel betrayed and complain. They waste their time and energy hoping the old cheese will return. Hall realizes the old cheese won’t return so he sets out into the maze in search of new cheese. He writes what he learns on the walls hoping that He will follow him. Eventually, he discovers new cheese and sees that Scurry and Sniff were already there. Cheese a metaphor for what you want to have in life. It could be a good job, a loving relationship, money, or health. The very core message of the book is this: things constantly change so we must adapt. This story brings us to a few lessons on Change:

LESSON 1: Change Happens

LESSON 2:Anticipate Change

LESSON 3:Monitor Change

LESSON 4:Adapt To Change Quickly

LESSON 5:Change

LESSON 6:Enjoy Change

Your personal opinion about the book: As Spencer Johnson rightly said that “Life moves on and so should we”. We all need to change with time and situations. If we don’t do that; we will not be able to survive and our life either will stop or come to an end. This book has some powerful lessons in a very simple language and a story that we can all relate to. That makes it easy to understand and apply (if one is willing to).

Have you read something like this before? Can you talk about that experience ?:

I don’t remember reading any similar book but FISH is one book that has some similarities. I definitely relate to my own experiences. All of us including me at some point in our lives have lived like Sniff and Scurry and Hem and Haw. I myself have lived these characters in different phases of my life.

Should people read this book ?: Anyone can read this as this relates not to work only but personal lives as well. The story depicts anything a human strives for. It could be money, fame, reputation, happiness, success, achievements, or anything else.

Key takeaways: There are many lessons that we can relate to. Fear of change can paralyze anyone from moving forward. Don’t let it. You need to reflect and pushed forward is where the growth happens. I have a victim mentality at one point in time but one needs to take charge of their lives and don’t let anything happen because of any external factor. We at times take things for granted but it’s where we find it difficult to understand the reasons for our failure and take hold back of circumstances. We think that wrong happens because of others but don’t see our shortcomings. At the same time become complacent when we get success and think that we have achieved everything in life. What is required to be done is Monitor change. Prepare for change. Change quickly. Adapt. And Enjoy Change. Don’t over-complicate things. Don’t use complexity to run from what you don’t want to do. Don’t get bitter and blame anyone or anything else for where you are in life.

Title of the book: Who moved my cheese?

Author: Dr. Spencer Johnson

The genre of the book: Self-help

Key Characters of the book: Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw represent the simple and complex parts of ourselves. Sniff represents someone who sniffs out change early. Scurry represents someone who scurries into action. Hem represents someone who fears and denies change. Haw represents someone who learns to adapt in time when he sees change can lead to something better.

The plot of the book: “Who Moved my Cheese?” is a simple story that reveals simple profound truths about change. It’s a fun story of 4 characters who live in a maze and look for cheese (job, money, relationship, etc.) to keep themselves happy. The story revolves around how each character reacts when an unexpected “change” in circumstances deprives them of the cheese that they loved so dearly. Their reaction to the situation gives away valuable lessons that can help one discover for himself how to deal with change so that he can enjoy less stress and more success in his life.

Personal opinion about the book: We all know that CHANGE is inevitable so we should anticipate changes in our lives and be prepared to adapt to them. We need to enjoy the process, the adventures of life.

Have you read something like this before?: I was able to relate the book “Feel the fear and do it anyway”.

Should people read this book ?: Everyone must read this book.

Key takeaways: 1. If you do not change, you can become extinct. 2. Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old. 3. Imagining yourself enjoying the new cheese leads you to it. 4.Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again.

“Who moved my cheese” is a self help book written by Dr. Spencer Johnson.

This book is all about “CHANGE“. Life is quite uncertain and the only wise thing is to accept the way it changes. All these is explained through a story of 2 mice (Sniff and Scurry) and 2 little people (Hem and Haw) who reacts differently when their cheese is taken away form them. Life gives fair and equal chance to all, it is upto us to either grab the opportunity and upgrade ourselves or to resist it and cry/complaint about it.

Sniff represents those set of people who are very keen observers. They keep their eyes, nose, ears wide open and anticipate the change which may come in near future. They trust their instincts and are ready with plan B for their life. Fear is something they are least known to.

Scurry represents those set of people who comes into action as soon as they anticipate  the change, they do not like to waste their time in overanalyzing the problem as well as the solution. These are simple people and to them change comes naturally.

Hem represents those set of people who do not anticipate change as well as do not accept the change. They do not like to move out from their comfort zone. For them, the situation in which they are needs to last forever. They are full of fear and insecurities; fear of loosing things, fear of not finding it again. Insecure about their belongings. They are resistant to any new idea or thought.

Haw represents those set of people who are slow. They accept the change a bit late and then start their journey for the new quest. These people need some push, some motivation to move ahead. But it is amazing to see that once they decide to move on, they never fall back. They have courage to accept their mistakes and laugh about it.

 

The above story indicates that human mind can react to same situation in different ways as well as different situation in same way. It is a complex web of thoughts and patterns. The more we experience the better decision makers we are. Let not your past experience hold you from discovering your “Station N”. 

 

Regards,

Aayushi Jariwala Tandon

“Who moved my cheese” is the story of very interesting four character. Sniff – who understand the change is going to happen. Scurry – who takes action quickly and adapt the change. Hem – who is having fears and not ready to accept the change. Haw – who is ready and learns to adapt things in time when he feels change can lead to something better. Maze represnt the world or we can say the enviorment we are living or working with. Cheese means job, money, position, love,health etc which keep ourselves happy. Uncertainty of getting success is very scary to move through the maze. We all are set with some mindset and we not want to come out of our comfort zone. We should not get into fear instead we have to think how to move on so things become easy and get success. We need to find our way in the maze and succeed in changing times.Things are changing constantly so we must adapt. The quicker we adapt a change the more satisfied will be with.

Book name : Who moved my cheese?

Author: Dr Spencer Johnson 

In the beginning of the book the author himself explains about the story that “This is about change that takes place in a maze where four amusing characters look for cheese.” Author uses a lot of metaphors to explain life lessons. “The maze in the story represents where you spend time looking for what you want” and “cheese represents what we want to have in life.” Many real life examples and connections were also made with this story. 

This book is divided into 3 parts: in the first part, former classmates meet for lunch and talk about their lives. In the discussion All of them shared how their lives were changed. In second part one of them named Michael shared this cheese story. To make them understand how important it is to accept changes in our lives before it’s too late. 

Characters of the Michael story were two mice, Name “Sniff” and”Scurry” and two little people named “Hem” & “Haw”. These little people ware small as mice but they think like humans. In their life they need to go to the maze and find the cheese. Maze was scary and very easy to get lost in. Little people need special cheese which they think makes them happy. Here the author makes good connections with our lives that we always want special cheese which makes us happy. We need to learn how we can be happy without having cheese. 

Mice were proactive on the other hand little people were not ready to accept the change. When little people got to know that their cheese moved they were not ready to accept change. “Hem” always said “This is not fair & why this happened to me” but when Haw understood the situation he moved on and moved alone in the maze to find cheese. He was afraid but still he was trying and I like this part whatever he was learning during finding cheese he was writing on wall his life lessons. Here are some ” If you do not change you can become extinct” “Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese”. 

Author shared the story about these little people and mice but in the same book in third part at the end he made a real life connection with it. All classmates were again met after listening to the story and made connections with their lives which characters they were in their life.

According to me in my life I am all of these characters as per situation but most of time as per my parenting roots I am always ready for change and after reading this story mantry of my life is always ready for the change and do not afraid about it. 

 

Title of the book: Who moved my cheese?

Author: Dr Spencer Johnson

The genre of the book: Self-help

Why was this title selected: The title “Who moved my cheese “is an allegory which the author has used to talk about real-life issues and send a broad message to the reader.

Key Characters of the book: Two mice Sniff and Scurry and Little people Ham and Hew. The names of the little people are metaphors which are taken from the phrase “hem and haw” which represents indecisiveness.

The setting of the book: Maze which has Cheese Station C and Station N where is a supply for cheese for mice and little people. The maze represents the environment where you spend time looking for what you want and Cheese is a metaphor for what we want in life. e.g. job, relationship, money, freedom, health etc. Station C is where we are today and Station N represents change. The characters represent us.

Sections of the book: The book is divided into three sections.

1. Gathering

2. The story Who moved my cheese?

3. A Discussion

The plot of the book: The book is a parable which involves four characters who live in a Maze. They are two little mice Sniff and Scurry and two little people Hem and Haw. They were living happily in the maze with the cheese they got to nourish themselves. Every day they would spend time in the maze looking for their cheese. Sniff and Scurry used simple techniques to search while the little people with their complex brain used sophisticated methods to search for cheese. All was going well as all four of them had found Cheese Station C where they were getting a daily supply of cheese. Hem and Haw had moved their house very close to this station and had dreams of their own as they thought they have their life settled. They never noticed that the cheese supply at Station C is getting reduced day by day. They feel devastated when they see no cheese one day. There is no effect of this on the two mice. Sniff and Scurry immediately accept the change and move on in the maze searching for new cheese. The little people feel that the situation is unfair with them and there is some scandal and they decide to wait for new stock of cheese. They even try to make a hole in Station C but couldn’t find cheese. The days pass by and they are left hungry and weak. They were still clinging to the fact that new cheese will come one day. While the mice were away and had found their new cheese. It takes time but one of the little people Haw realizes that he has to overcome his fears and move in the maze and search for new cheese. Haw used his imagination to paint the picture of cheese with realistic details and decides to get of his comfort zone and adapt to change. He gets discouraged at times while moving in the maze but laughs at his own folly to move ahead. He realizes that Ham and Hew never paid attention to the decreasing stock at Station C otherwise they could have analyzed the situation a little early. While moving in the maze in search of new cheese Haw writes the lesson learnt in the journey which would also help Hem to follow him if he decides to. At last, Haw finds the new stock of cheese at Station N where he sees Sniff and Scurry already present. Haw summarizes all his lessons learnt on the wall of Station N with cheese in the centre.

Your personal opinion about the book: Life requires a high level of risk and adventure. The most important things are that change is inevitable. This books motivates us to accept change, adapt to change and change oneself. We have to come out of our comfort zone, accept our fears and move forward. It is rightly said in the book “Move with the cheese”.

Have you read something like this before? Can you talk about that experience ?: I was able to relate the book “Feel the fear and do it anyway”. This book also talks about overcoming your fear. Even the book “FISH” is relatable.

Should people read this book ?: A must-read for everyone. I have already purchased the book and I recommend you all to keep a copy of this book with you. I had read this book but re-reading has given a different insight.

Key takeaways: I am writing down the lines from the book which Haw wrote on the wall of Station “N”. They should be read every day is what I feel.

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

Based on the present situation in the world and government decisions around us we need to start searching for Station “N”. Change before it is time to change.

 

Regards,

Bhargavi.

The story tries to highlights varied personality traits human beings possess. The analogy of cheese with the intended desires of humans be it material possessions, quest for healthy life style, elevate spiritual awareness etc the maze is the source which will facilitate you to find your cheese, that is means to accomplish your pre established goals. Every human is chasing their cheese , however the entity cheese holds different meaning for different people. Whether we are successful in grabbing the cheese and savour its taste entirely depends on the courage to peer anxiously through the maze. Here the analogy of maze being a labyrinth of corridors and chambers and sometimes leading to alley or black hole and being in a consistent  fear to lose one’s way out is similar to myriads of obstacles which we face when we are on our journey to accomplish our goals. The four characters sniff, scurry , hem and ham are the dominant ways of thinking humans resort to when they are exposed to an uncertain and unpredictable situation. Sniff and scurry were observant to notice that the amount of cheese is getting depleted at cheese station C. However Hem and Haw became so contented that they believed they will not have to ever expend efforts to toiling hard through the maze and they claimed this cheese will suffice and will nourish them for the entire life. However the situation changed for no good , one good morning the cheese disappeared from Cheese Station C . Scurry and Sniff were aware of this inevitable situation and acted instinctively.
They get back to their running gears as quickly as they can and ventured into the adventure and in search of another Cheese station. After strenuous efforts they found cheese station H which contained the cheese not only abundance of cheese which they never found prior but also the variety of cheese available startled them . Their excitement need to description. On the contrary Haw and Hem cursed , hollered and kept thinking how destiny is not fair to them. They thought they are entitled to the cheese as they once toiled hard to search this treasure. They waited for a miracle to happen and daily visited Cheese station C with an expectation that someone might have placed the cheese back. However ever day they returned with disappointment. The anguish, frustration and restlessness was evident . They both turned emaciated due to lack of nutrition for several days. However they were not willing to change their attitude and feared venturing and exploring the maze again in search of new cheese station. They were not wanting to leave their comfort zone. Haw laughed at their folly and decided to explore the maze again. First the fear of being caught in the alleys and black holes kept him immobilized , however he still mustered the courage and went ahead with the expedition. He already became week as he was starving for so many days and realized  this new search will be more painful than usual. But after he actually acted upon his fear he experienced it wasn’t that difficult either.

Haw reflected on his way to find a new cheese station. He realized how his fears had clouded him and inhibited him to begin an action of finding out a new cheese. He realized how over analysis and over complicated thoughts and beliefs hold his fears. He suddenly realized the cheese did not disappear immediately as he perceived it prior. However the depletion in the amount was a continual process which he and Hem did not took a notice of. He gathered observing small changes will help one anticipate big changes and adapt to it quickly .If one does not adopt within a time frame then they cant adapt at all. Haw gained energy by realizing that he has shrugged off the burden of fear from his shoulders and is now more flexible to change. He realized rather than me complaining who moved my cheese?? I could have moved with cheese . The invigorating power which haw  received is through his critical reflection on his prior beliefs. Changes will occur naturally and we need to adapt to the changes quickly. Questioning and lamenting on the changes that  has already occurred  is only making you paralyzed . Rather than questioning why the change occurred , it is indeed great to come up with the strategies and tools which will help us deal with the change effectively and help us update and broaden the vision. Also haw imagined what he realistically aim for. He always imagined him sitting amidst the heaps of his favorite cheese and savoring the taste of it. He encountered several set backs and was prompted to think will he ever be able to find a new cheese?? When soever he encountered this dilemma he just asked one question What would I do If I am not afraid?? This question propelled him further and alas he found a new cheese station N which contained the variety of  cheese in abundant amount  which was never found prior. He was startled to find this new location . He then became alert and decided to investigate the change in this new location and also simultaneously explored other corridors. He decided not to confine himself within this comfort zone and not let arrogance of success dominate him  and allow him  to take a sigh of relief  you never know some  danger and a dire need to change is lurking in the background trying to convey an implied message to take an immediate action.

Regards,

Kinjal Morkhia

After reading the book, “Who moved my cheese” written by Dr. Spencer Johnson, I can strongly say that it is a must read book in life. The book contains a very interesting story with four characters in it, “Sniffy and Scurry (the mice) and Hem and Haw (Tiny people). They all used to live in a “Maze” which represents our work place, society, home, culture and so on. The characters in the book represent different mentality / behavior / habits of different people. It also portraits different ways in which people deal with the change occurs in various aspects of their lives at the regular interval of time. “Cheese” can be defined in your own way such as, “Money, fame, success, health, family, own house or any other materialistic thing. “Move With The Cheese” represents the key learning of the book. It is telling us to analyze the situation, anticipate the future changes, be mentally ready for the same, proactively adapt with them as soon as possible and enjoy moving with them. If we are able to follow these things, change will never be able to surprise us and we can embrace the change. For most of the people “change” is scary because of a lot of uncertainty and fear of security which is mentioned in the book with the use of metaphor “darkness”. This book can inspire you to keep moving on to find your “Cheese”. However, it also says that some fear must be respected in order to keep ourselves safe from real danger. But our fear should not lead or empower our decisions in life. “What would you do, if you weren’t afraid?”, is my key take away from this book. I think this is one of the biggest learnings of my life and a very good way to start leaving many empty cheese stations of my life. (To understand “what is cheese station, you will have to read the book). I think I have played all the story characters at some points in my life. But I admit, I was more of a “Hem” in a major part of my life and the same has been observed by me for others. But I will shift from “Hem to Haw” (Confused Again? – Now what is this? – Read the book.). Thank you for the wonderful opportunity of learning.