Aesara Partners 

At Aesara Partners, our mission is simple: enable you to be the best version of yourself. We offer a range of focused services that unlock the potential of people, teams and cultures to maximise business performance. 

Collectively our Partners and Associates have decades of experience both in executive coaching and as board level leaders themselves working in multiple sectors across global markets.

Partner & Executive Coach

Doshisha University

Professor of Strategic Management, Global MBA Program

The CFO Coach K.K.

The CFO Coach K.K. is a boutique executive coaching firm specializing in developing High-Performance​ Financial Leaders and Teams.

Founder & Executive Coach

Kansai Gaidai University

•	Awarded President's Global Education Award (Teacher of the Year).

Professor of Leadership & Management

Benesse Holdings, Inc. (USD 4.5B; Tokyo Stock Exchange Code: 9783)

•	Member of the Board of Directors for Berlitz Corporation; Benesse Corporation; and Benesse Style Care.  Chairman of Audit Committee for Berlitz Corporation. Member of Benesse Holdings Pension Committee.
•	Global CFO covering all 40+ Benesse group companies
•	Championed and supported multiple cash generation initiatives including a CFO led "Save to Grow" initiative to improve Company Financial performance and to identify significant savings for business reinvestment
•	Enhanced Finance bench strength and hired a high potential team to start financial business consulting
•	Implemented several process and capability best practices to move group companies towards global standards

Global Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Senior Vice President

McCann Worldgroup Holdings

• Overall Responsibility for Operations (Finance, IT, Legal, and Administration - 10 legal entities) 
• Successfully turned around long term loss making lead agency by delivering double digit margin improvements within two years
• Delivered double digit margin improvements for all six MWG Group companies 
• Built a new Finance team and moved from Scorekeeping to Business Partnership and improved business performance
• Major projects within last two years include: 
  - Shared Service center creation/migration
  - New Financial System Migration
  - Acquisition & Divestiture
  - Business Turnaround
  - Retirement Plan consolidation/change
  - Office relocation/rent reductions

Group Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Member of The Board

Becton, Dickinson and Company

• Led Finance, Procurement, General Affairs, and Rebates teams (43 staff) to deliver multi-million dollar cash and profit performance improvement for first year and beyond. Exceeded all budget expectations.
• Engaged Japan Management Team and Global Finance Leadership Team on company objectives to deliver best outcome (Finance Transformation initiative, Sales effectiveness improvement, Key Account Management, Business Continuity plan, and strategy/selection of backup distribution center).  Led process for 2012-16 Business Plan development
• Developed and executed Finance department strategy and vision to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Implemented job rotation program and hired several high potential employees to improve bench strength.
• Championed multiple Finance and Procurement initiatives including definition and implementation of new 401k Retirement Plan; divestiture of non-core business; change of primary banks (reduced bank fees by over 30%); vendor reduction process, and new travel expense management system 
• Taught New Manager Essentials program and selected as leadership trainer for PEPFAR program in South Africa to teach Leadership and Change Management to African Health Ministry officials

Finance and Administration Director

Avon Products Inc.

•	Implementation project leader for Avon Sales Leadership Framework (ASLF) – Highest priority project for the Company to adapt to a new Sales Model.  Completed project implementation in record timing.  Awarded regional award as part of ASLF Team. Only person in Asia recognized for both Top-line and Bottom-line contributions in the same year.
•	Defined and executed new vision and mission and led Sales Support department to complete over 40 initiatives (within a six-month period) as part of Team’s new journey towards field motivational excellence. Incorporated new processes to deliver high impact incentives, and to create Sales energy and momentum for sales turn-around.    
•	Achieved highest employee engagement scores with Sales Support Department significantly exceeding country results in over 95% of categories.  Previously had also led Finance department to highest employee engagement scores.
•	Global Project leader for a high potential, multi-functional, multi-national team to study and recommend actions to improve Global Sales Incentive management/spending process.
•	Oversaw execution of a variety of Company and Public/Media events ranging from Sales Conferences to Philanthropic events including Annual Awards to Women, and Pink Ribbon Campaign support.

Executive Director and Member of the Board

•	Responsible for Financial policy making/implementation and reporting for Avon Japan as a public company (including statutory/public, and Board Meetings). All year-end financial documents audited with no comments/exceptions.
•	Defined and executed new department Vision and Mission, and recruited, trained and developed a completely new Finance team (80% new hires within a six month period) to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Finance team formed core of country high potential list.
•	Consistently over achieved profit performance commitment under adverse conditions of sales decline by aggressively managing strategic business needs with cost cutting; Delivered zero overhead growth during all years; Japan winner of regional awards for best cost management performance, and for boldest transformation strategy.
•	Provided leadership and support for critical decisions and strategy development as Japan Leadership Team Member.  Actively led change management process within company.
•	Consistently achieved best internal control results in Asia-Pacific/Avon over a period of eight audits.  Japan one of only two countries with highest audit rating. Outstanding performance generated support to remove Japan from list of High Coverage countries.
• Co-developed strategic/financial business case, and obtained approval for number of campaign reduction in 2006 making Avon Japan only country ever in Avon to undergo campaign reduction. 
• Independently analyzed and provided strategic direction for Plant study which challenged and reversed previous recommendation by outside consultants on plant closure.
• Provided leadership in several restructuring initiatives by providing an achievable plan to achieve 12% people related cost reduction.  Played lead role in this study representing Finance, Supply Chain and HR 
• Consistently achieved highest performance rating and nominations to several high potential programs
• Elected (and re-elected) to Board of Directors

Executive Director, CFO and Member of the Board of Directors

Delphi

• Prepared Asia-Pacific regional messages / presentations for Delphi Strategy Board, and for Delphi Board of Directors.
• Supported development and implementation of critical Asia-Pacific strategies.  Performed competitive intelligence and other special studies to identify risks / competitive threats and outlined regional / corporate response.
• Provided Miller Heiman strategic selling process training to Asia-Pacific personnel to improve value propositions and increase sales effectiveness.

Director Asia-Pacific Planning

• Management responsibilities for Finance, HR, General Affairs, and Six-Sigma.
• Active member of the Japan Strategy Board and Japan management team.  
• Six-Sigma Deployment Champion for Delphi Japan.

Delphi Japan – CFO & Administration Director

Country Responsibilities:
• Managed all finance functions including accounting, budgeting / forecasting and treasury.
• Lead development of cross-functional and cross-divisional Internal Control Review Board.
• Lead and supported strategic initiatives including venture development support, site enhancement, competitive analysis, transfer pricing, and cost reduction studies.
• Represented Japan in Asia-Pacific Financial Task Team.

Regional Responsibilities:
• Coached country CFO and staff to implement common financial reporting processes.
• Supervised and provided training for engineering / commercial / plant / site analysts.  Coordinated regional financial training programs for the sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Coordinated the regional budget, business plan, and capital management process.
• Supported development of common financial practices among ventures including:  Loan monitoring, F/X and cash management, compliance with accounting principles, report submission, etc. Provided regional oversight of venture risk exposure.

Asia-Pacific Senior Finance Mgr.

Executive Coach | MBA Professor | Ex-Global CFO

I help senior leaders master complexity, elevate strategic impact, and lead with authentic authority.

I bring over 25 years of C-level and boardroom experience as a former Global CFO for a $5B publicly traded company, combined with a deep commitment to human-centered leadership development.

Today, I coach global executives, CEOs, and leadership teams — specializing in executive transitions, strategic leadership, high-performance teams, and Asian leadership development.

I am also an MBA Professor of Leadership and Strategic Management, blending research-driven frameworks with boardroom-tested insights to develop transformational leaders.

Based in Kyoto, fluent in English, Urdu, and Japanese.

Connect with me: arif@thecfocoach.jp

Website: www.thecfocoach.jp (please sign up on my mailing list to receive future announcements and newsletters)

Arif Iqball

Tom Waite Health Coaching

Health Coach

Personal Training

Certified Personal Trainer

Most execs don’t notice the decline until it starts to cost them.

Energy crashes in meetings. Brain fog during deals. Bloating, back pain, or just not liking what they see in the mirror.

It starts small: skipped workouts, poor sleep, more caffeine. But over time, it turns into a real liability. 

Professionally. Personally. Physically.

That’s where we come in.

We work with high-level founders, execs, and board-level leaders to transform their health and body, without disrupting their schedule, social life, or performance.

Our system combines biometric data, wearable integration, targeted strength training, and a tailored performance framework to rebuild energy, drop 10–20kg, and restore clarity, confidence, and control.

This isn’t a PT app, a generic plan, or a “health kick.”

It’s a high-accountability transformation, built for operators who can’t afford to lose their edge.

If your body is becoming a liability instead of an asset, it’s time to take it seriously.

📩 Message me to learn about our private programme 

Tom Waite

You don't rise by skipping sleep.

You rot.

Most high performers think they're the exception.

They learn the hard way they're not.

I know because I've been there.

You tell yourself you're fine because:

→ You're just finishing a few emails in bed
→ You wake up foggy, scroll, and hit snooze twice
→ You start your day tired, wired, and already behind

It feels normal.

But it isn't safe.

Here's what the science shows:

🔻 Sleeping under 7 hours (without weekend recovery) raises your risk of heart attack and stroke by 20%


🔻 Less than 6 hours of sleep increases your risk of coronary heart disease by 48%, and stroke by 15%


🔻 When you’re sleep-deprived, your brain gets confused. It starts clearing out not just waste, but healthy brain cells too.

You're not just tired.

You're running on survival mode.

And your body is keeping the score.

Every night of poor sleep:

→ Drops decision quality by 40%
→ Cuts creative problem-solving in half
→ Tanks emotional regulation
→ Erases your competitive edge

But this is fixable.

And it doesn't require a total life overhaul.

These four science-backed habits protect your brain, energy, and future:

1️⃣ Wake up at the same time every day
Even with shorter sleep, regularity lowers mortality risk
→ Start with just 3 consistent days/week and build from there

2️⃣ Build a wind-down routine
Your brain needs clear shutdown cues
→ Stretch, breathe, journal—no screens, no caffeine
→ Set a non-negotiable cutoff time

3️⃣ Get 30 minutes of morning light
Natural light resets your internal clock
→ Doubles your daytime energy
→ Helps you fall asleep 2x faster at night

4️⃣ Switch off screens 1 hour before bed
Blue light disrupts your sleep hormone production
→ Use night mode or blue blockers if you must work
→ Better yet: Read a physical book

You don't need to grind harder.

You need a nervous system that isn't fried.

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

Helping executives and founders live and lead longer | Build a body that matches your ambition.

The greatest leaders don’t just care about results.

They care about the person in front of them.

They understand that performance is personal.

That people don’t just follow titles.

They follow those who make them feel seen, heard and remembered.

Empathy isn’t a nice-to-have.

It separates good managers from unforgettable leaders.

And you don’t need a title to lead.

When you lead with empathy, you lead your team, your family, your community.

Through listening.
Through presence.
Through how you make people feel.

Here’s what high EQ leaders do differently:

1) They listen with full attention
No distractions. No rushing. Just presence.

2) They regulate before they respond
Pressure doesn’t shake them. It sharpens their clarity.

3) They honour the human behind the role
Work is personal. One conversation can change a life.

4) They tell the truth with care
They don’t avoid discomfort. They use it to build trust.

5) They show up consistently
Not just when it’s easy, but when it counts.

Anyone can hold a title.
Few earn trust.
Even fewer leave a legacy.

Which of these traits have you seen in the best leaders you’ve worked with?

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

High performance isn’t built on talent. 

It’s built on trust.

In my work with executives and founders, change means facing uncomfortable truths. 

Habits tell a story. And sometimes, that story isn’t flattering.

Low trust kills those conversations before they even start.

High trust turns them into clarity, commitment, and action.

And high trust isn’t some rare talent you’re born with.

It’s something anyone can create: in their team, their family, or their own personal growth.

Here’s how.

1. Match your actions to your promises:
If you say you’ll deliver by Friday, deliver by Friday. Nothing erodes trust faster than missed commitments, and nothing builds it faster than keeping your word.

2. Lead with intent, not ego:
People read your motives before they hear your words. Make it clear you want what’s best for them, not for your own image.

3. Tell the truth early and often:
Avoid sugarcoating until it’s “the right time.” Consistent honesty builds safety faster than perfectly timed revelations.

4. Listen for the story under the words:
 High trust isn’t just about speaking. It’s about hearing what people aren’t saying and proving you understand their reality.

5. Hold the line with empathy
Boundaries protect progress. You can be compassionate while still holding people accountable to the standard they’ve agreed to.

High trust doesn’t make hard conversations easier.

It makes them possible.

And anyone can create it.

What’s one small thing someone's done for you to build trust? 

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

As long as your body is healthy, you have a thousand problems.

Stress. Work. Uncertainty. Deadlines.

You can carry all of it when your foundation is strong.

But the moment your health slips, everything else disappears into the background.

Your world narrows to one problem.

The problem.

High performers forget this.

On the outside they look unstoppable.

On the inside their health is often held together by luck and routine.

Not strength.
Not resilience.
Just enough to function.

That is why it feels like everything can fall apart at once.

When health drops, capacity drops.

Patience drops.
Energy drops.
Focus drops.

The things you used to manage easily suddenly feel impossible.

People think success comes from work ethic.

Most of the time it comes from the quiet stability of a healthy body.

When that pillar holds, everything else becomes doable.

When it cracks, the entire structure shakes.

You are only as strong as your weakest link.

And that link is always your health.

Follow Tom Waite  for posts that help you live and lead longer.

You already know exactly what to do

You just keep choosing not to.

Your problem isn’t knowledge.

It’s that doing it consistently feels harder when the goal isn’t tied to a wedding, a vacation, or proving something to someone else.

When motivation comes from external events or people, it disappears as soon as they do.

But consistency is built when your actions align with who you are, not what’s happening around you.

The strongest habits don’t come from feeling inspired, they come from deciding who you are even when no one is watching.

Here’s how to make consistency part of your identity, not a chore:

1) Identity before habit.

 Ask “Who is the person who does this naturally?” and start acting like them now.

2) Evidence over emotion.

 You don’t need motivation to start.
 Track small wins daily, and let those wins build your identity.

3) Environment equals honesty.

Design your space to make the right choice easy: consistency grows where friction disappears.

4) Language shapes identity.

Stop saying “I should do this.” 
Say “I’m the kind of person who does this.”

5) Return faster.

Consistency doesn’t mean never slipping.
It means coming back faster every time you do.

You don’t need to prove anything to anyone.

You just need to live what you already know, but aren't yet acting on.

Follow Tom Waite  for posts that help you live and lead longer.

Transformation doesn’t start in the mirror. 

It starts in the mind.

When my clients finish their program, they don’t say:

“I never thought I’d have abs.” (even though many do)

 They say:

 “I never thought I’d be someone who loves working out.”
 “I never thought I’d feel this in control around food.”
 “I never thought I’d feel this connected to my body.”

Transformation isn’t about doing.

It’s about becoming.

It’s about keeping promises to yourself.

Creating boundaries that protect your energy.

Understanding the value that caring for yourself adds to your life.

Getting clear on your why and living in alignment with it.

True change doesn’t begin with action, it begins with awareness.

1. Ask yourself what’s true right now.

 If you watched a silent video of yourself today, what would you see?
 How do you move, eat, rest, and react?
 Where are those habits leading you?

 You can’t lead what you don’t first observe.

2. Decide who you want to become and why.

 Most people stop at goals. Few define the reason.

 Why does it matter if you change?
 What shifts in your life when you do?
 Who benefits when you’re at your best?

 When your why is emotional, not logical, it becomes fuel.

3. Translate intention into structure.

 “Eat better” isn’t a plan.

 Structure is.

 Do you plan your meals?
 Do you follow a program?
 Do you schedule downtime with the same seriousness as work?

 Change becomes real when you build the environment to support it.

4. Accumulate evidence, not perfection.

 Every small promise kept is proof.
 Did you do what you said you’d do today?
 If not, why not? Reflect, adjust, move forward.

 Micro wins compound faster than motivation.

5. Lead yourself.

 You are the first person you ever have to lead.

 Your consistency, self-respect, and clarity set the tone for everything else.

Transformation starts with the mind.

But it’s sustained by the structure you build to honour it.

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

Being unwell is now normal

Being healthy is now “obsession”

We have normalised being unwell so deeply that taking care of yourself now looks extreme.

Cut back on alcohol.
Drink water and eat real food.
Learn calories and basic nutrition.

People call it restrictive or obsessive.

But living on caffeine, poor sleep, and chronic stress is considered totally normal.

Feeling exhausted every day is normal.
Running on convenience food is normal.
Ignoring symptoms until they get serious is normal.

We reversed the definition of normal.

We made the bare minimum look like a full lifestyle overhaul.

Healthy habits are not extreme.

They are just uncommon in a world that rewards burnout and labels balance as obsession.

If you want to rise above that environment, start here:

1) Notice who judges your progress.

People who feel threatened by change will always label your effort as obsession. That judgment tells you more about their discomfort than your decisions.

2) Audit your circle.

If everyone around you is exhausted, stressed, and coasting, your standards will drop without you noticing. Proximity sets your baseline.

3) Stop expecting approval.

Your health is not a group project. Most people judge what they cannot commit to. Waiting for validation keeps you stuck.

4) Redefine what “balance” means.

Balance is not living half healthy and half destructive. It is doing enough consistently that your body has room to thrive.

5) Own your results.

Your habits either move you forward or hold you in place. Once you take responsibility for both, nobody’s opinion can derail you.

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

The best weight to lose isn’t on the scale

It’s the weight of others people’s opinions. 

The moment you start prioritizing yourself, people notice.

“Why are you leaving to train?”

“Why are you eating differently?”

“Why aren’t you drinking at the event?”

They don’t understand because they benefited from the version of you that had no boundaries.

The people who question your choices now will call you “disciplined” later.

This is the real transformation.

Not fat loss. 

Not six-pack abs.

Identity.

Becoming someone who values themselves enough to set boundaries.

Someone who doesn’t need permission to prioritize their health.

Your body changes fastest when your identity changes first.

5 Ways to Build That Identity:

1. Choose habits that respect your future self

Before every decision, ask: Will this make life easier or harder for me in three months?

When you start acting for the future you, the present you becomes easier to manage.

2. Treat boundaries as self-respect, not conflict

Saying no to things that drain you isn’t rude. 

It’s responsible.

Every time you hold a boundary, you teach yourself that your time, energy, and health actually matter.

3. Stop asking for permission to change

Most people will only support your growth once it’s safe and proven.

If you wait for their approval, you’ll stay exactly where you are.

Your desire to feel proud of yourself is reason enough.

4. Build routines that survive stress, not just good days

Anyone can eat well and train when life is calm.

The real shift happens when you design simple, bare-minimum routines you can still hit when you’re tired, busy, or stressed.

So progress never fully stops.

5. Choose a circle that reflects your standards

If everyone around you normalizes burnout, late nights, and numbing out, you’ll call that normal.

Spend time with people who treat health, rest, and growth as non-negotiable.

Your new standards will feel natural.

The shift isn’t about losing weight.

It’s about becoming someone who doesn’t need approval to value themselves.

Follow Tom Waite for post that help you live and lead longer.

We cracked the code to a longer life..

But not to a happier one. 

We’re living longer, but not better.

We’ve cured diseases, but created new ones.

Anxiety, depression, and burnout are proof of the issue.

But it doesn't just start at your work desk.

It starts in your daily choices:

❌ Sitting inside all day
❌ Avoiding your problems
❌ Consuming more than you create
❌ Comparing yourself to everyone else

Individually, they look harmless.

Together, they compound into exhaustion, disconnection, and burnout.

🔁 The inversion:

The same way habits can drain you, they can restore you.

✅ Get outside daily - sunlight and fresh air reset your system
✅ Move - walk, train, dance, anything that gets your body alive
✅ Face problems instead of hiding from them - avoidance is fuel for burnout
✅ Create more than you consume - output builds energy, input alone drains it

Burnout thrives when you let unhealthy patterns repeat unchecked.

It fades when you build healthy ones with intention.

Because health isn’t just about fitness.

It’s energy to show up with clarity.
It’s resilience to handle pressure.
It’s connection to yourself and others.

Health is what makes happiness possible.

Protect it, and you protect everything else.

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

Strength isn’t about looking good. 

It’s about who you’ll be in 30 years.

I have a client, a 66-year-old surgeon, who bangs out 5 pull-ups for fun.

I know someone else the same age who struggles with the stairs and avoids long walks.

Same age.

Different choices.

Completely different futures.

Some will accept aging as inevitable.

That getting old means losing your function.

“I don’t have the energy anymore.”
“My balance just isn’t what it used to be.”
“That’s just what happens when you get older.”

Others see an opportunity to extend their independence.

To build a body that still works at 70, 80, even 90.

And research backs them up.

An 80-year-old who trains can out-lift a 30-year-old who doesn’t.

Aging is guaranteed.

Decline is not. 

Here’s how to tilt the odds in your favor:

1) Mindset
What you tell yourself is powerful. Your beliefs shape your biology.
If you expect decline, your brain and body follow.

2) Reverse engineer your future self
 Who do you want to be at 80? Independent, active, sharp?
 Start building that identity now.

3) Map out your worst-case scenario
 Picture the alternative: frailty, bed ridden, dependence, limitations.
 It’s a future you can prevent, but only if you act now.

4) Strength train 2–3x per week
Nothing slows aging like resistance training. It preserves muscle, bone, and function.

5) Eat protein (1.6–2g per kg of bodyweight daily)
 e.g. 70kg = 110-140g protein per day.
 Fuel recovery and protect lean tissue.

6) Take creatine 
5g daily, every day, for life.
One of the most researched, effective, and safe supplements for strength, cognition, and aging.

The choices you make today decide who you’ll be in 30 years.

Strength isn’t about how you look now.

It’s about whether your future self can climb stairs, play with grandchildren, or live life on your own terms.

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

I found this quote by accident. The morning after a friend’s wedding, with a sore head, standing in the airport buying coffee.

An eight pound book on leadership.

Nothing fancy, nothing glossy.

Just a small collection of thoughts that someone had decided were worth keeping.

One line stopped me.

A reminder that everyone is a leader.

Not because of a title.

Not because of a team.

But because every one of us influences someone’s thoughts or actions or behaviour.

It hit me how true that is.

You lead in your relationships.

You lead with your kids.

You lead in how you show up for your friends.

You lead in your home, your habits, your reactions, your presence.

Leadership is not reserved for a boardroom.

It is lived in your everyday choices.

It is felt by the people closest to you.

And it made me think about my own work.

I do not have a big team waiting for instructions.

But I do have clients who trust me to influence change in their life.

To model the behaviours I expect them to build.

To live in a way that makes their growth feel possible.

If you are reading this, you are a leader to someone.

Your example is shaping a choice.

Your behaviour is setting a tone.

Your energy is influencing a path.

You do not need permission.

You already lead.

The real question is how.

Follow Tom Waite  for posts that help you live and lead longer.

Every workout you skip in your 30s..

is a contract your 60-year-old self has to pay.

Not with money.

With weakness. 
Dependence.
Fatigue.

Because the biggest driver of accelerated aging isn’t fat gain.

It’s muscle loss.

And it doesn’t wait until you’re “old.”

It starts in your 30s. 

8% of muscle mass disappears every decade you don’t train.

The consequences are everywhere:

• Slower metabolism
• Faster biological aging
• More falls and fractures
• Less energy, more fatigue
• Loss of strength and power

And it doesn’t just rob years off your life.

It shrinks your independence in the years you do live.

I’ve seen two versions of aging play out with clients:

One person at 66 bangs out pull-ups for fun.

Another at 66 struggles with stairs and avoids long walks.

Same age, completely different life.

The difference isn’t luck.

It’s years of choices.

Strength training isn’t about building a six-pack.

It’s about building capacity.

The kind of capacity that keeps you living on your own terms, decades from now.

If you want to slow aging, start here:

1️⃣ Strength train 2–3x per week.

2️⃣ Supplement creatine daily (5g).

3️⃣ Move often - don’t let muscle sit idle.

4️⃣ Eat 1.6–2g of protein per kg of bodyweight.

5️⃣ Always remember: your future self is watching.

Every rep you do today is a deposit.

And the compound interest shows up when you need it most.

Follow Tom Waite  for posts that help you live and lead longer.

Stress isn’t always about what happens.

It’s about the meaning you give it.

The same deadline can crush one person and sharpen another.

The same challenge can feel like pressure to one, and purpose to another.

Stress isn’t the enemy.

What matters is your relationship to it.

Too little stress, and you drift, bored, unmotivated, disengaged.

Too much, and you burn out, anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed.

But in the middle, something powerful happens.

Stress turns into fuel.

✅ Focus
✅ Creativity
✅ Motivation

That’s the zone high performers learn to find.

Not by eliminating stress, but by shaping how they meet it.

In periods of stress, don’t just ask:

“How do I get rid of this?”

Ask:

“What meaning am I giving this?”

“How can I use it to grow or move forward?”

How to reshape stress into fuel:

1) Reframe it

 Instead of “I’m anxious,” try: “This outcome matters to me, my body is preparing itself to perform.”

That shift turns stress from threat → readiness.

2) Watch your labels

 Words matter. If you call stress “unbearable” or say you “can’t deal with it,” you lock yourself into that state.

 Name it differently, and you change how you experience it.

3) Zoom out

 Use the 10–10–10 rule: How will I feel about this in 10 minutes, 10 months, or 10 years?

 Most stress shrinks when you stretch your perspective.

4) Siphon it off

 Think of stress as a bucket. If you never drain it, it overflows.
 Build habits that empty the bucket: walks without headphones, journaling, naps, or time in nature.

 Most overwhelm isn’t from “too much stress” - it’s from never releasing any.

5) Channel it

 Stress is stimulation. Direct it with intention.
Treat physical training as an outlet for mental tension.

Stress without direction burns you out. 

Stress with direction pushes you forward.

Follow Tom Waite for posts that help you live and lead longer.

People can walk around with good diets, consistent training, solid routines, and still feel exhausted.

Still feel foggy.

Still feel off.

And sometimes the answer is not motivation.

It can be as simple as a deficiency.

Vitamin D. Iron. B vitamins. Thyroid.

Simple things that can create symptoms enough to disrupt your life.

That is where preventative screening matters.

Not as a luxury.

Not as a medical obsession.

But as a way of decentralising control of your health.

We live in a time where you can order lab tests that were once reserved for hospitals.

You can get answers in days, not months.

You can see in black and white what your body has been trying to tell you for years.

And most of it costs less than a dinner out.

This is the new chapter of health.

Not waiting for problems.

Not guessing.

Not relying on anxiety or symptoms to force you into action.

It is using data to make better decisions.

It is understanding your body before it breaks.

It is taking ownership because the tools finally exist to help you do it.

You can still eat well.

You can still train.

You can still sleep properly.

But you can also check under the hood.

And sometimes that simple act is what gives you your energy, clarity, and confidence back.

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The Battle

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Tom Waite

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Performance ScoreTom Waite's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Arif Iqball

Tom Waite

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Tom Waite's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreTom Waite's LinkedIn Performance