Redefining Your Best: How Self-Aware Leaders Build Realistic Expectations

Get Organized at Work | Career, Leadership, Project Management, Productivity, Time Management

Redefining Your Best: How Self-Aware Leaders Build Realistic Expectations

In this episode, Redefining Your Best: How Self-Aware Leaders Build Realistic Expectations, leadership coach and working mom Kayla Fahey-Ahrndt shares a powerful mindset shift for high-achievers who feel like they’re never doing enough. Discover why your “best” changes daily — and how self-aware leaders use reflection, realistic expectations, and proactive systems to lead without burnout. Kayla opens up about her own journey from overcommitted college student to healthcare leader and entrepreneur, revealing how capacity, seasons, and energy all shape success. You’ll learn how to stop being hard on yourself, embrace realistic productivity, and plan your work with purpose. Plus, grab Kayla’s free Realistic Leadership Reflection Journal inside the Get Organized at Work Podcast Community App, and join The Organized Leader Sprint (just 4 spots left!) to build your personalized leadership system. Bonuses expire Tuesday, October 7 — visit www.kfaconsulting.org/sprint for details and the kickoff replay.

🔍Keywords

realistic expectations at work, leadership mindset, self-aware leaders, productivity guilt, how to stop being hard on yourself, leadership reflection journal, organized leader sprint, capacity-based planning, leadership development podcast

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The Organized Leader Sprint is enrolling now! https://www.kfaconsulting.org/sprint 👉 4 Weeks to Go From Overwhelmed & Firefighting → to Organized, Confident, and Proactive Leadership Finally build the systems and confidence you need to thrive as a leader. If you’re tired of procrastination, micromanaging, and always being reactive, join me for 4 weeks in The Organized Leader Sprint. https://www.kfaconsulting.org/sprint in just 4 weeks, you’ll:

• Create a personalized Leader Standard Work system that keeps you organized and consistent.

• Learn how to delegate with confidence (without losing control).

• Shift from reactive firefighting → proactive, strategic leadership.

• Build routines that keep you productive, without late nights or constant overwhelm.

• Walk away with a repeatable playbook you can use for every role, project, and season of leadership.

What’s Included in the Sprint: 4 Weeks. Small Group. High Impact.

Here’s how it works - We start Tuesday, October 14th

• Weekly Live Calls with Kayla (60 mins - Tuesdays at 5PM CST & recorded if you miss the live) — Focused on one leadership theme each week (time management, delegation, consistency, communication).

• Action Templates & Tools — Plug-and-play planners, delegation scripts, and productivity trackers.

• Accountability Check-ins — Stay consistent with reminders, prompts, and community support.

• Private Group Access — Share wins, ask questions, and get feedback directly.

By the end of 4 weeks, you won’t just know what to do — you’ll have systems built and running.

Bonuses

Join by October 7th and get these bonuses:

• Bonus #1: Leader’s Daily Planner (digital $15 value + printable $50 value).

• Bonus #2: Get Organized at Work Blueprint Course ($372 value)

• Bonus #3: Quick Win Toolkit — email templates, meeting agendas, and organization hacks.

• Bonus #4: First 3 signups get a private 30-min coaching session with Kayla. ($97 value)

Who It’s For:

This Sprint is for you if:

• You’re a new manager who wants to “succeed without burning out.”

• You’re an experienced leader who’s “tired of procrastinating and chaos” and wants consistency.

• You’re an HR, healthcare, nonprofit, or education professional who needs “better time management, delegation, and systems.”

• You’re ready to “shift from hustle and firefighting → strategy and clarity.”

Investment & Guarantee

Your Investment:
👉 One-time payment: $397 $497 (for Founding Members - All future Sprints will be priced starting at $497)
👉 Or 2 payments of $220

ENROLL HERE: https://www.kfaconsulting.org/sprint TIMELINE

⚡Enrollment closes Friday, October 10th at 11:59 Central Standard Time or when 5 spots are filled.
⚡Bonuses disappear after Tuesday, October 7th.
⚡First 3 signups get private coaching.

Final Call

You can keep drowning in sticky notes, procrastinating, and firefighting…

Or you can join a group of leaders who are ready to step into clarity, consistency, and confidence — and finally get organized at work.

Enroll Now: https://www.kfaconsulting.org/sprint

HOW TO SUPPORT KAYLA & GET ORGANIZED AT WORK PODCAST

1. 📱Join My Free Podcast Community for Professionals (get 20% off Merch inside the community, plus that's where all my freebies live!)
2. Leave me a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Apple Podcasts Show Link
3. Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/GetOrganizedAtWorkPodcast
4. 📒📘☕Grab Podcast Branded Merch: Check out our Get Organized at Work Podcast Shop

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RECENT EPISODES:

• The Consistency Blueprint: Why Leader Standard Work Actually Works
• Consistency Wins: Leadership Lessons from a Half Ironman
• Burnout-Free This Fall: How to Stay Consistent Without Losing Balance with Automations, Templates, and Delegation
• How to Build Consistent Work Rhythms That Survive Even Your Worst Day (🎉Merch is Here!)
• The 80/20 of Work Systems: What Actually Matters Most
• The Hidden Costs of Inconsistency at Work (& How Can I Show Up More Consistently at Work?)
• Why You Don’t Need to Organize Your Email or Notes (and What to Do Instead)
• 7 Game-Changing Lessons I’ve Learned from Hosting the Get Organized at Work Podcast
• What’s Stopping You? The Career You’d Choose If Fear Wasn’t a Factor - Reclaim Your Fulfillment at Work
• Soft Life Systems: Organizing Your Work for a Less Hectic Life
• Unplug to Recharge: Smart Summer Scheduling for Leaders
• How to Ask For Help at Work WITHOUT Saying "I'm So Busy"
• How to Get Promoted by Getting Organized: The Real Secrets They Don't Teach You
• Karen Read’s Attorneys - What Leadership Skills Can We Learn from Them?
• 🏆20K Downloads! Consistency Wins: Why Rough Drafts are OK & Takeaways from the May Challenge
• Reflect & Celebrate: How Small Check-Ins Keep You Consistent at Work (Week 4 – May Consistency Challenge)
• Build Your Leadership Rhythm: 3 Daily Habits That Stick (Week 3 – May Consistency Challenge)
• Celebrate the Small Wins: How 10 Minutes a Day Builds Real Progress (Week 2 – May Consistency Challenge)
• Master Your Focus: The One-Thing Rule for Consistent Progress at Work (Week 1 - May Consistency Challenge)
• How Your Why Fuels Consistency at Work (and in Leadership) - Sharing MY WHY with You
• Stuck in the Procrastination Cycle? How to Beat it with Consistency over Perfection!
• Get Organized at Work Blueprint Course is LIVE TODAY! 6 Major Career Lessons I've Learned
• March Madness Hacks: 5-Min Tips to Boost Work Productivity (That You Might Not Have Thought Of!)
• 3 Signs You Need Better Organizational Systems at Work - Which One is Holding You Back?
• Spring Forward - How to Get Organized at Work in 6 Simple Steps
• How to Get Promoted at Work: Prove Your Value, Tips for Career Advancement
• Efficiency Hacks - How to Be Your Own Project Manager with Asana, ChatGPT, and Bullet Journals
• Feeling Stagnant in Your Career? Here’s How to Fall Back in Love with Your Work
• Using My Amazon Productivity Planner: Key Takeaways for Better Time Management
• How to Get Piles Off Your Desk: Organizing Your Paperwork & Digital Files
• Thinking Bigger: How Leaders Can Drive Culture Change & Innovation
• Why Your To-Do List is Failing You: Why Leader Standard Work is the Ultimate Solution for Getting Organized at Work
• Build Your Personal Brand at Work: Tips for Standing Out and Thriving with 16Personalities

CONNECT WITH KAYLA:

📱Join My Free Podcast Community for Professionals

🗞Get My Newsletter

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylafaheyahrndt/

Follow the podcast on Instagram: Get Organized At Work Podcast (@getorganizedatwork) • Instagram photos and videos

RESOURCES:

📅Schedule a Organize My Work Consulting Call - Get Help Organizing Your Work

🆓Free Resource Library: https://www.kfaconsulting.org/freeresourcelibrary

🌐Website: https://www.Kfaconsulting.org

More about Kayla: --Kayla’s “Why” and Leadership Journey: https://www.Kfaconsulting.org/meetkayla