What if it’s not about balance at all, but about alignment?
In this episode of The Relational Approach Podcast, Dr. Katie Keller Wood offers a Montessori-inspired perspective on caregiving, purpose, and the meaningful work we’re called to do, especially in the most ordinary moments.
Rather than striving for “work-life balance,” Katie invites us to reimagine our days through the lens of alignment: intentionally arranging our lives and our work to reflect what matters most. She shares the idea of the cosmic task, a Montessori principle that speaks to the unique role each of us plays in the world, and how even seemingly small acts of care contribute to something much larger.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt stretched thin, disconnected from their purpose, or in need of a reminder that relational work is the real work. Katie’s insights offer a grounded and compassionate path back to meaning, connection, and personal alignment, both inside and outside the care home.
You’ll hear:
– How “alignment” can replace the pressure of work-life balance
– Why your work, no matter how small, has lasting impact
– What it means to discover your cosmic task
– How connection and purpose fuel care, even on the hardest days
About Katie
Dr. Katie Keller Wood grew up in the world of education, and delights in helping people find new ways of thinking about the world. Discovering Montessori education, both as a pedagogy and a philosophy, was pivotal for her, and she is on a mission to bring a Montessori perspective of work to everyone.
Katie has had the great honor of working with hundreds of middle and high school Montessori teachers from all over the world through the training program she runs, called CMStep. She is recognized as a leader in Montessori programming for adolescents and adults. Any given semester might find Katie teaching undergraduates at the University of Virginia, where she earned both her bachelor’s and her doctorate degrees, master’s students at Xavier University, or doctoral students at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She is active in the Montessori research and teacher education communities.
Katie does her work because she believes that a more peaceful, just, equitable, and sustainable world is possible, and that it takes all of us leading our aligned lives to bring this world forward.
Katie lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is a TEDx and keynote speaker and a sought-after presenter for workshops and conferences. Alignment: A Montessori Approach to Reimagining Work-Life Balance is her first book.
You can learn more about Katie at
TEDx link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LM1yS3TzTk
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