Your Cheese Didn’t Disappear… You Just Stopped Moving

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about change.

Not the kind we talk about.

The kind we feel — when something that used to work… just doesn’t anymore.

And it reminded me of a book I was introduced to in my very first sales role, nearly 25 years ago:

Who Moved My Cheese?

Simple story. Big lesson.

The Setup

It’s set in a maze.

Four characters:

Two mice: Sniff and Scurry Two “little people”: Hem and Haw

All searching for the same thing:

Cheese — their version of success, happiness, security… whatever that means to them.

Two Very Different Approaches

Sniff and Scurry keep it simple.

-They don’t overthink.

-They don’t overanalyse.

-If the cheese isn’t there…

They move.

Hem and Haw?

-They plan.

-They analyse.

-They try to figure it all out.

But ironically — the more they think, the more stuck they become.

Sound familiar?

Then It Happens

They all find a cheese station.

-Life’s good.

-Predictable.

-Comfortable.

…..Too comfortable.

Hem and Haw stop running.

They hang up their trainers.

Until one day…

The cheese is gone.

What Happens Next Is Everything

Sniff and Scurry?

-They don’t panic.

-They don’t complain.

-They don’t ask “who moved it?”

They just go back into the maze.

Hem and Haw?

-They stay.

-Waiting.

-Questioning.

-Getting frustrated.

-Blaming.

Hoping the cheese will come back.

(It won’t.)

Eventually, Haw makes a move.

Not because he’s ready.

Not because he’s confident.

Because staying where he is has become more painful than moving.

And Here’s The Bit Most People Miss

When Haw finally finds new cheese…

-It’s better.

-There’s more of it.

-Better quality.

And he realises something uncomfortable:

👉 The signs were always there

👉 The cheese was always going to run out

👉 He just ignored it

Let’s Bring This Back to Reality

Because this isn’t about mice.

It’s about us:

In business.

In life.

🏁 How often do we:

Stick with what’s familiar because it used to work Ignore the signs because change feels uncomfortable Overthink instead of just… moving

Sniff & Scurry vs Hem & Haw (In Real Life)

Sniff & Scurry energy:

-Action over analysis Play to your strengths Move quickly when things shift

Hem & Haw tendencies:

-Waiting for things to “go back to normal” Overthinking every decision Letting fear dress itself up as logic

The Truth No One Loves Hearing

-The cheese will move.

-Your clients will change.

-The market will shift.

What worked last year won’t carry you forever.

And asking:

“Who moved it?”

…is completely irrelevant.

The Only Question That Matters

-Are your trainers still by the door?

-Or did you hang them up because things were going well?

Final Thought

Most people don’t fail because they made the wrong move.

They fail because they didn’t move at all.

If you’re feeling stuck right now — in your business, your results, your momentum — it’s probably not because you’ve lost your ability.

It’s because the cheese moved.

And you haven’t yet.

Time to get back in the maze