The Illusive Work-Life Balance — and What you Can Do Instead
Written by Stephanie Redivo
If you want to grow as a leader, learn some habits to adopt for you and your team, all while striving to achieve the illusive work-life balance we are all trying to strike, check out this months non-fiction pick.
Welcome back to Read the North, your new favourite non-fiction book club.
Inside you will find:
A book recommendation
A hosting guide complete with a cookie
Discussion questions to dive deep into the book
Introducing…
Work-Life Bloom: How to Nurture a Team that Flourishes by Dan Pontefract
In many parts of Canada, March is the month gardeners start dreaming. Seed catalogues come out, soil gets tested, and plans are made for what to grow in the season ahead. It's the time of year when we start asking: what do I want to cultivate this year? Which is exactly why there's no better time to crack open Work-Life Bloom by Dan Pontefract.
Favourite quote: "People are rivers, always ready to move from one state of being into another. It is not fair to treat people as if they are finished beings. Everyone is always becoming and unbecoming."
Summary:
Work-Life Bloom by Dan Pontefract reimagines the relationship between work and life; not as a balance to strike, but as a garden to cultivate. Through his bloom model, Pontefract challenges leaders to invest in the whole person; their purpose, belonging, and growth so both people and organizations can flourish. It's a practical, human-centered roadmap for anyone who has ever felt there should be more to work than what they've been experiencing.
Perfect for readers...
Who have people reporting to them and want to bring out the best in their team.
Who dread Sunday nights and find work more draining than energizing; this book meets you exactly where you are.
Whose job is to create environments where people thrive and need both the language and the evidence to make the case for why work-life bloom matters.
Who don't want to climb the corporate ladder but still want to do meaningful work, feel connected, and go home feeling good about their day.
Your hosting guide
The cranberry oatmeal cookie is made of simple, wholesome ingredients: oats, dried cranberries, cinnamon; nothing extravagant, but everything intentional. Dan's bloom model works the same way. It isn't about radical reinvention or chasing prestige. It's about identifying the core ingredients that make your life nourishing and making sure they're all in the mix.
Discussion questions
Work & Happiness The Mappiness study found paid work is the second worst activity for happiness; just ahead of being sick in bed and 80% of working adults get anxious on Sunday nights. Does this resonate with you? What would need to change for work to feel less draining?
The Great Reconfiguration Dan reframes 2021–2022 not as the "Great Resignation" but the "Great Contemplation." Reflecting on that time in your own life; what were you questioning, and did it lead to any shifts in how you think about work?
The Work-Life Bloom Model Looking at the model on pages 38–39, which factor resonates most with you and is there anything you feel is missing?
Your Personal Legend: What drives you? What is your sense of purpose, and how closely does your current work align with it?
People as Rivers & Loneliness Dan quotes: "People are rivers… everyone is always becoming and unbecoming." How does this shape how you see your own growth and how you support your team? And were you surprised that loneliness costs 25 billion annually; what role do leaders play in addressing it?
Now for the yummy part… the cookie of the month :
Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
0.5 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon (I like cinnamon)
0.5 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (yes you can use quick oats)
1.5 cups dried cranberries
Instructions
Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugars: Beat 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup brown sugar, packed, and 0.5 cup granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla: Mix in 2 eggs one at a time, then add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1.5 -2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Note: I use a kitchen aid mixer and add the dry ingredients straight into the mixer and not in a separate bowl. To date I have had no issue.
Fold in oats and raisins: Stir in 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats and 1.5 cups dried cranberries until evenly distributed. Don't overmix.
Scoop the dough on a cookie sheet and then chill the dough for 30 minutes (Very Important)
Take out of the fridge or freezer and bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly underdone.
Take out and cool completely. Enjoy and share with friends!