Business, Contributor, Mindset, She Owns It

Recovering Overachiever Confession #3: I Blame It On The Birds. by @McDermott_Chime

by Cortney McDermott

Updated: November 4, 2021

From the series: Confessions of a Recovering Overachiever by Cortney McDermott, Chime

Yup, I know that might sound a bit extreme, but I blame it on the birds.

Let me explain.

On my morning run, I often loop through a children’s park near my home. Many a morning, I’ve found garbage scattered along the path, frustration welling inside each time I’d pick it up and wonder why people couldn’t make the extra effort to toss it in the nearby bins.

Until one morning…

When I froze mid-run to witness a bird swoop down, snatch a piece of garbage right out of the bin, pick at it before discarding it on the ground, and then go for the next piece.

Here I’d been blaming folks I didn’t even know and getting angry at them to boot, when all along it had been the birds!

Now, I don’t want to give birds a bad rap. I love ’em, unless of course they have some evil intent.

“Blaming it on the birds” is just my way of remembering that it’s rare to see the whole picture, that my perception is limited by what I am able to see in this moment.

It’s my way of not rushing to judgment, something every overachiever struggles with…especially when it comes to judging herself.

So when I catch myself thinking things like: “I should have written sooner” or “I shouldn’t eat that piece of cake,” I take the advice of Anthony Robbins and immediately stop shoulding all over myself ! Then I remember that I’m likely not seeing the full picture, even about myself.

Ditching judgment and adopting a more loving, compassionate approach toward myself and others has freed up so much extra space for creativity and abundance in my life and business.

How do you deal with that sneaky voice of judgement (VOJ)? Thanks for chiming in below with any advice you may have for fellow recovering overachievers.

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See more Confessions of a Recovering Overachiever here on She Owns It:
- Confession 1: I no longer plan my days.
- Confession 2: I nap.
- And check back for more Confessions each month.

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Cortney McDermott – Co-founder & CEO, Chime

Cortney McDermott is an internationally sought after sustainability and communications expert. After nearly a decade in the Fortune 500 world, Cortney decided to turn her passions into her profession. “The real crisis humanity faces is not planetary. It’s personal. At the heart of every poor decision, flawed system, or unhappy person is wrong thinking. We may not realize it, but we shape our world. It’s up to us whether we do so intentionally or not.”

An award-winning author and official blogger for The Huffington Post, Cortney helps others understand how to shape their reality with intention. Her 7-Step process to personal and professional transformation starts with what she calls simplicating: cutting away the unnecessary so we can hone in on the strategies and actions that spark success, enhance value, and create a better world. “It’s amazing the opportunities that open up when you build a discipline around doing the right thing.” Cortney has advised global corporate leaders on sustainability, corporate communications, and business strategy. She has also served as an executive at Vanity Fair Corporation, Vice President at Sustainability Partners, professor of graduate studies for Top Ten universities, and chair of multiple global business organizations.

She’s done all this without sacrificing her life as a wife, mother, marathon runner and yogi in a small mountain village in the North of Italy. Join her and thousands around the world chiming in to Work Life Harmony.

Follow Cortney on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook.