Learn how to thrive in work and life using Montessori principles.
In her new book Alignment, Dr. Katie Keller Wood shows us that we have to stop striving for some impossible, made-up construct called "balance" and instead start focusing on maintaining a healthy alliance between our work and our non-work. There is overlap, she argues, between our work and our lives, and this connection is essential to our highest functioning. Ultimately, the best way to think of our lives is not as a balance scale but as a mosaic, with all our "tiles" (work, family, friendship, etc.) in some form of optimal, albeit continuously shifting, alignment.
Using key Montessori education principles and frameworks, and drawing on two decades of experience teaching adolescents and adults, Dr. Wood shows us that it is possible to thrive in work and in our messy, complicated, and beautiful lives while still making a difference in the lives of others.
About the Author :
Dr. Katie Keller Wood grew up in the world of education and works with hundreds Montessori teachers from all over the world through the training program she runs, CMStep. She is an adjunct instructor for the University of Virginia, Xavier University, and the University of Wisconsin, and is active in the Montessori research and teacher education communities. Visit her at katiekellerwood.com. Katie lives in Richmond, VA
Review :
"A bold new take on work-life balance." --Booklife
"Coaching people toward fulfilling, purpose-driven lives based on Montessori models, Alignment is an encouraging self-help text." --Foreword Clarion Reviews
"A warm, valuable, and empathetic guide to forging personal alignments that will rejuvenate lives." --Kirkus Reviews
"This dazzling debut offers a blueprint for an aligned life that energizes rather than depletes. It's smart, soulful, and refreshingly practical." --Ozan Varol, bestselling author of Awaken Your Genius and Think Like a Rocket Scientist
"Keller Wood brings clarity and compassion to one of the greatest challenges of modern life: how to care deeply about your work without letting it consume you." --Dorie Clark, Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of The Long Game
"If you think Montessori is just a kid thing, you're wrong. This wise book shows adults how to craft a richer life using Montessori wisdom." --Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit
"Alignment is your invitation to shift from exhaustion to intention--and finally come home to yourself." --Laura Gassner Otting, Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of Wonderhell
"For those who give their all--and sometimes, more than their all--to their profession, this book offers a profoundly different perspective on 'work-life balance.'" --Daniel Willingham, PhD, author of Why Don't Students Like School?
"The idea of 'work-life balance' never really worked for me, and Katie Keller Wood gets why. This is a thoughtful, compassionate, practical book for anyone who's tired of trying to balance the unbalanceable." --Rebecca Joines Schinsky, chief of staff for Riot New Media
"Alignment is the book I wish every mission-driven professional could read before burnout ever takes hold. Katie Keller Wood offers a powerful reframe for those of us who care deeply about our work but also yearn to live with joy and wholeness." --Dr. Nicole-Noelle Evans, senior director of leadership at Embracing Equity
"Rarely does a book speak so fluently across professions: From oncology nurses to corporate leaders, the Montessori framing helps to contextualize the important role of work in our life's mosaic. The alignment of our mosaic is presented as fluid and evolving, making this a guide you'll return to repeatedly." --Ruth Riviere, senior corporate leader
"A compassionate, thoughtful guide for those of us who love our work but are done with the myth of 'balance.' If you're craving a more sustainable, meaningful way of living--a life in which all of you is allowed to show up--Alignment is the book you didn't know you needed." --Amy Port, co-founder of Heroic Public Speaking
"As a former 'Montessori kid, ' Alignment is not just a revelation; it is a homecoming. Katie Keller Wood shows us how to finally let go of the impossible task-- achieving 'work-life balance'-- and redirect our focus to our cosmic task, in a way that supports us as a whole person." --AJ Harper, author of Write a Must-Read
"This must-read book is a lifeline for mission-driven souls seeking a new way forward that honors purpose and personal well-being. Transformative, tender, and urgently needed." --Susie DeVille, , award-winning author of Buoyant
"Combining research with story, Katie Keller Wood draws us in to reevaluate how we think about work. Alignment is full of tools, prompts, and guidance for immediate implementation, bringing the reader through changes and into alignment as they move through the pages." --Elizabeth Slade, founder and executive director of Public Montessori in Action International
"If you've ever felt the pressure to compartmentalize who you are in order to succeed, Alignment offers more than just permission to bring your whole self--it offers a process. For values-driven leaders, this book is a call to realign--not just to function, but to flourish." --Tricia Montalvo Timm, award-winning author of Embrace the Power of You
"Katie Keller Wood's Alignment is a blueprint for purposeful living with respect (for self and others) at its core." --Gena Cox, PhD, author of Leading Inclusion
"This book captivated me. It's a refreshing take that invites you to reimagine your life as a mosaic, where all the pieces support each other. A must-read for anyone ready to live and work with more freedom, intention, and heart." --Linda Carey, co-founder of the Tutu Project and president of the Carey Foundation
"Katie Keller Wood reminds us that we matter in not just what we do but who we are, and that our work and our lives do not have to be in constant battle, but can be woven together in a beautiful, living mosaic." --Tatenda Blessing Muchiriri, founder and chief dreamer of Montessori on Wheels
"Drawing from Montessori's radical view that work is not the opposite of play but a pathway to self-discovery, this book offers an outstanding mosaic model that honors both your mission and your humanity. It's a guide for thriving--not just succeeding--in a life of passionate work." --Jeffrey Shaw, author of The Self-Employed Life, Lingo, and Sell to the Rich
"Alignment is an outstanding primer on how to align your whole (meaning your work and non-work) life. My advice? Get her book. Jump into the chapters. Do the exercises (yes, actually do them!). And then when you feel you are out of alignment again, repeat." --Carol Gunn, MD, occupational medicine physician, patient advocate, speaker
"If your work is purposeful and you've ever felt consumed by it, Alignment is a must-read. This book is especially powerful for those of us in healthcare and human services, where the line between mission and overextension can blur fast. It's not about balance; it's about wholeness." --Deborah Bakti, author of Now What? and host of The Relational Approach podcast
"Katie Keller Wood helps to give readers a sense that the mosaic of their alignment can be achieved when the chaos of imbalance is recognized. This is an easy-to-read, thought-provoking book that has been sculpted to celebrate and support changes in mindset." --Edy Nathan, author of It's Grief
"Through compelling stories and guided practice, Katie Keller Wood shows how Montessori principles can be used to align your personal life and career, to better meet your goals, and to meet the need for connection and work that every human shares. This book will change lives." --Trisha Thompson-Willingham, MEd, Montessori consultant, co-founder of the Virginia Montessori Association
