Author: Maria Connolly

Accelerate Your Personal and Professional Growth — Apply Mentor Coaching “Miracle Grow”!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in ICF Mentor Coaching.

We can learn a lot from plants. They are constantly in a cycle of growing and changing. If you pay attention to and provide what each plant likes and needs, you’ll have a lovely, productive garden. Of course, they can suffer transplant shock when they’re moved from one spot to another, but when you give them the right amount of a plant food like MiracleGro, they take off like crazy! What does this have to do with your personal and professional growth?

We similarly are constantly changing, but we’re not necessarily growing unless we choose to do so. But aren’t we the happiest when we are growing? I know I am. And that’s where the Miracle Grow of Mentor Coaching comes in…

Modern Leadership is Like Driving — Constant Scanning is Required

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Embodied Leadership, Self-Leadership Skills.

Developing as a leader in this complex time is a complicated adventure! The old style of leadership was generally one-dimensional. Modern leadership style demands a more feminine approach that springs from greater self-awareness and being mindful of how your actions and reactions affect your community.

Modern Leadership — scan five views while “driving”

Leadership is like driving an actual car. Doesn’t it make you nervous when you’re in the car with a driver who never scans the road? When driving a car, you look ahead through the windshield while keeping an eye on the rear and side-view mirrors. Leaders today need to be scanning in all directions constantly as they lead. If not, they’re missing vital information that could drastically influence their direction.

The Power of Perception and Projection Revealed & How to Use It in Your Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Emotional Intelligence, Positive Mindset.

Have your first impressions of a situation or person ever made you act in a way you later regret? Our power of perception can cause trouble if we misjudge. At the very least, it gets us off on the wrong foot. On the other hand, it can be a protection when our gut tells us to be wary. How do we know when to trust our power of perception and when to override it?

10 Common Obstacles to Self-Reflection and How You Can Overcome Them For Good

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Life Skills, Mindfulness.

We start out great…and then something gets in the way. How many times has that happened to you? You think you really want to do something, but within a week you lose the desire. To track down the cause of this lack of motivation, we need a practice of self-reflection. But what happens when we lose the desire to maintain a reflective practice? That’s a big problem because that deprives you of a vital life tool. We cannot afford to lose our momentum or get sidetracked from developing the essential skill of self-reflection!

Cultivate a Reflective Practice that Nurtures Personal and Professional Growth

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness.

A parent asks the child, “What are you doing?” Her response “I’m thinking.” The parent comes back with, “Don’t you think it would be better if you got up and did something constructive like cleaning your room instead?” We’re trained at an early age that “doing” and ‘’checking off tasks” is what’s important. We certainly aren’t taught a formula, system, or reflective practice to unpack our experiences. But I’m here to do that for you and we’ll get to that in a moment.

As a result, we’re caught up in the whirlwind of daily tasks and responsibilities. We race through life, rarely pausing to reflect on our actions, decisions, and experiences. However, cultivating a reflective practice can be a transformative journey that brings clarity, self-awareness, and personal growth. One of my favorite quotes helps bring this into perspective…