Alignment
A Montessori Approach to Reimagining Work-Life Balance
Coaching people toward fulfilling, purpose-driven lives based on Montessori models, Alignment is an encouraging self-help text.
Educator Katie Keller Wood’s self-help guide Alignment draws on Montessori models to propose methods of achieving work-life balance.
Pulling inspiration from the practices and tenets of physician and educator Dr. Maria Montessori, this book proposes a shift from the conventional idea of work-life balance to a more nuanced and sustainable model of holistic alignment. At the core of its approach is the concept of a life mosaic, or a collection of personal and professional elements that, when aligned, form a fulfilling, purpose-driven life. Introducing practical thought exercises, questionnaires, and writing prompts, it encourages personal reflection to facilitate change toward these goals. Writing prompts and steps for application result in explicit, thoughtful guidance toward identifying the pieces of one’s mosaic.
The prose is specific and clear, introducing terms like “purpose work” (labor that resonates with personal values) and “paycheck work” (labor done for financial necessity alone) in an accessible manner. It explores the phenomenon of “bored overwhelm,” the paradoxical feeling of having too much to do with no motivation to do it, in a compelling way too. Each concept is defined and reinforced with strategies for managing and overcoming such challenges, and the practice work at the end of each chapter helps cement such ideas in a tangible way.
Personal anecdotes embellish the book, as do references to popular media and credible academic sources, resulting in a breadth of illustrative, informed examples and resources. The text also expands upon its instructions for finding work-life alignment by incorporating conversations about privilege and systemic failures, deepening its reflective purpose. Indeed, Keller Wood emphasizes the privilege of her own experiences and asserts that individuals from all backgrounds deserve to thrive in alignment.
Despite its integration of Montessori tactics, the text feels fresh. Its encouragement and advice for those facing overwhelm in their professional lives and for those whose loved ones face burnout is direct and helpful, as are its practical recommendations for offering support from the sidelines. Still, the workbook-style sections within each chapter stand to be the book’s most useful takeaways. They include writing prompts, reflective questions, and quizzes, appearing at thought-provoking intervals to proffer deeper understanding of work-life alignment. The importance of an individualized approach to alignment is conveyed with conviction, reinforcing the book’s Montessori-based tools for “help[ing] me do it alone.”
Timeless yet relevant, the self-help book Alignment reimagines work-life balance in terms of holistic harmony.
Reviewed by
Allison Janicki
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
