How do you deal with change?

By Khanyi Nzukuma, Chief Executive of Glacier by Sanlam

I recently had cause to re-read Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson. Although over 20 years old, the parable about change is more relevant today than ever.

It tells the story of two mice and two humans who go out each day in search of their daily cheese. The mice understand that the cheese will eventually run out, while the humans fail to notice the diminishing supply and are caught off-guard when the supply of cheese completely dries up. It’s a parable about appreciating what you have while still noticing when the circumstances around you change and adapting quickly to that change in order to survive and thrive.

These are a few of the lessons that we can apply in our daily lives – whether work or personal:

1. Change happens – don’t be afraid to start again
   Never stop looking for opportunities no matter how bleak things seem.
   
2. Anticipate change – don’t be caught off-guard
   Complacency won’t serve you. Never rely on past successes – you’re only as good as what you’re doing right now.
   
3. Don’t ignore change when you notice it
   If you ignore the signs, they’ll catch up with you eventually. Rather be flexible and adapt early on in the process.
   
4. Take responsibility for your actions
   The humans in the story carried on consuming the cheese and when it was finished, they were too afraid to venture out in search of a new supply of cheese. The quicker you let go of an old situation, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy what comes next.
   
5. Act quickly and don’t over-complicate things
   It was second nature to the mice to go out and search for another supply – they didn’t stop to second-guess themselves. Acting fast and exploring new options may lead to even better things.
6. Enjoy change
   Put fear aside and enjoy change when it comes.
   
7. Learn to laugh at yourself
   Humour helps us find hope in difficult times and helps us move on from previous mistakes.
   
8. Have a clear image of the end-goal
   This helps with self-motivation and keeps you going when times are challenging.

Life moves on and so should we.

Spencer Johnson

Glacier Financial Solutions (Pty) Ltd and Sanlam Life Insurance Ltd are licensed financial services providers.