Who Moved My Cheese? It was the US election results

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson was a best seller in 1998. It went on to sell 30 million copies. With the US election results impacting so much, this 96-page book feels more relevant now than ever.

I originally published this article at the start of the Covid 19 pandemic. But I’ve been thinking we are dealing with at least as much change now and I found myself being drawn back to this book and its important message.

The book tells a story about the four ways people deal with change. I remember reading the book in an hour, and it opened my eyes. I shared the book with everyone and talked about it for months. It inspired me to think differently and to learn more about constructive ways to deal with change.

The constant turmoil and dramatic changes underway are moving a lot of cheese in ways that few of us imagined possible. As we collectively face a culture-changing time, we are confronted with an opportunity. The opportunity to choose how to respond.

I know I keep resisting the urge to get angry and to keep my mind focused on the idea that all change represents opportunity. The question is, “What constructive actions can I take?”

For more insights into dealing with change, I suggest looking to Jedi Master Yoda for inspiration.

Many of us grew up listening to Yoda (from Star Wars) speak of fear and attachment. He said, “You need to train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” Why? Because “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

It is all too easy to focus on our fears rather than how we might confront our problems. Focusing on our fear leads to hoarding ammunition and all kinds of irrational behaviours. The alternative is to focus on solutions. But how do you choose your thoughts and actions?

You practice and develop your personal mastery and leadership effectiveness.

Here’s some resources to consider.

1. Start by recognizing your thoughts as stories you’re making up, rather than facts.
2. Then bring your focus into the present and the now.
3. Determine what’s real, not made up, using real facts, not opinions.
4. Accept the facts. You don’t have to like them, but you do have to accept them.
5. Acceptance creates an openness to explore possibilities.
6. Ask yourself which possibilities are actionable and align with your values and goals.
7. Take constructive action where you can.
8. Pay special attention to your communication practices. Be inclusive and enrolling.
9. Gauge your progress and reassess your options.
10. Keep repeating this process as you navigate the change and create a new workable norm.

This process involves mindfulness, emotional mastery, lateral thinking, creativity and no small measure of patience. Often a business or personal coach is needed to help develop the practices while things are going to hell around you.

Granted, it is easier to learn these skills before a crisis, but there is no time like the present to learn. The goal is to respond as powerfully and purposefully as possible.

I know when I had my stroke and I was laying in the hospital paralyzed, I was feeling the fear and confronting life-altering change. If not for my personal mastery training, my attitude and path to recovery would have looked decidedly different. I think this shift in US policy is one of the greatest threats to stability I’ve seen, due to its scale and impact. I can’t help but reflect on my stroke and the training that helped me through that experience.

As entrepreneurs, executives and business owners, our choices affect far more than ourselves. The choice before each of us is how we choose to think and act during this tumultuous time.

Will we get stopped by fear, or will we master our fear and look for creative solutions that involve others?

If you have personal mastery training, you have an opportunity to lead and to help shift people from a focus on fear to something more productive like mobilising your community.

If you’re paralyzed by fear and catastrophizing thoughts, it’s a great time to learn personal and emotional mastery. These skills will help you and your business emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.

I suggest investing some time reading. It will help you prepare for a tough road ahead. Start your reading with:

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson (for context and insight)
Out Of The Maze by Dr Spencer Johnson
Power Vs Force by David R. Hawkins
Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step By Step by Dr Edward De Bono
The Mindful Leader: 7 Practices for Transformation by Michael Bunting
Leader Effectiveness Training: L.E.T. by Thomas Gordon
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
Life Sinks or Soars by Rael Kalley

The topics include: Change Management, Lateral Thinking, Mindfulness, Emotional Mastery, Leadership, Personal Effectiveness and Effective Communication. The specific books are not what’s important. Find some titles on the topics listed that resonate with you.

I’ve spent 25+ years learning this stuff, and I can’t imagine what I would do now without these skills and practices.

I sincerely hope you decide to view all the change that is being forced upon us as an opportunity to thrive in the face of adversity.