When rodents discover that what they’re doing isn’t working, they do something else.
When we good folk discover what we’re doing isn’t working, we look for someone to blame.
Uh-huh.
That’s according to bestselling business author Spencer Johnson in his delightfully funny book Who Moved My Cheese?
It contains a bunch of wonderful insights into human nature, especially around managing change.
Today I’d like to pass on a tremendously useful insight, especially for those of us on the weight change journey.
Who’s got the smarts?
In a nutshell, when the rats have a regular supply of cheese in a specific area of their enclosure they promptly learn where the cheese is located.
Unsurprising so far, right?
Here’s where it gets interesting.
When the location of the cheese is changed, the rats initially return to where it used to be. Upon finding the cheese missing, they search elsewhere until they find it in the new location.
Pretty sensible, yes?
Not that I claim to be a mind reader of rodents but you can see the logic, can’t you?
“The cheese isn’t where it was yesterday, I’ll have a look-see somewhere else.”
You might be thinking, “Yeah whatever, we all do that, don’t we?”
Uh-uh.
Nope.
No, really, we don’t.
See on some level, rats have more smarts than us. The rats quickly realise that if what they’re currently doing isn’t working, do something else.
But not us people…
What do we people do when we can’t find our metaphorical-cheese?
I’m pleased you asked.
We re-visit the former cheese location, and remind ourselves, “Well, it was here yesterday.”
Again (and again) we return to Where The Cheese Once Was. We refuse to listen to the evidence: the cheese has been moved.
And, instead of seeking it elsewhere (a la rodents) we blame and butt-cover and finger-point.
“Who the heck moved my cheese…what gave THEM the right to move my cheese? It was MY cheese…!!!”
We faff about.
We deny, make drama and excuses instead of looking elsewhere for our brie.
And stay stuck.
True or true, ladies?!
When we return to the same spot expecting to find the cheese (which we learned yesterday was moved) is being a little, well….insane.
Doing the same thing, again and again, and expecting a different result is pretty silly behaviour, don’t you think?
We get cross and tell ourselves the “The brie’s gone for good”, “It’s not meant to be for me” or “It’s all too difficult”.
You’ve got to start looking elsewhere for your cheese, honey.
It might not be in the second place you look (or even the third), but you KNOW where it isn’t, so stop looking there!
I often hear clients say, “I’ve always been like that” or “That’s just not me”.
By saying those kinds of things they’re placing limits on ever becoming their happy weight.
They’re limiting their capacity for change. Lots of clients desire change, but not if it means THEY have to change.
For YOU to become your happy weight, YOU will need to make changes.
If you want to begin producing different results in any area of your life, you need to stretch your comfort zone, do something different and look elsewhere for your cheese.
Love etc, Avril
