Why alignment matters to me

I made my professional football debut at 18.

That meant pressure early, responsibility early, and consequences early. I was learning how to perform under scrutiny while still figuring out who I was becoming.

I went on to play professionally for over 15 years, while also becoming a partner and a father at a young age. I had values I believed in — but like many people carrying responsibility early, my actions didn’t always match them.

Trying to live with one foot in responsibility and one foot cutting corners eventually catches up with you.

When my career was under threat and pressure followed me home, I had to stop and look at myself honestly. No excuses. No blame. Just ownership.

That moment taught me something simple but uncomfortable:
alignment isn’t optional when pressure is real.

The M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula

I didn’t set out to create a “framework.”

The M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula came from noticing the same breakdown happening again and again — in myself, in sport, in families, in mentoring, and in adult life.

People don’t fail because they lack values.
They fail because they don’t slow down long enough to see where their values and actions have drifted apart.

Over time, I realised that sustainable change only happens when you’re willing to:

look honestly at yourself,
spot misalignment early,
take ownership without blame,
and rebuild before pressure forces the issue.

That process became the M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula.

Not as a theory — but as a repeatable way to course-correct when life gets loud.

It’s not about becoming someone new.

It’s about becoming consistent with who you already say you are.

How the M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula works

The M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula is a way of slowing things down before life forces you to.

It’s designed to help you spot misalignment early — while you still have choices — and course-correct in a way that’s honest, intentional, and sustainable.

Each step builds on the last. None are optional. And the process can be returned to whenever pressure shows up again.

M — Me

Everything starts with you.
Not blame. Not excuses. Just an honest look at where you are and what you’re avoiding.

I — Inconsistencies

This is where you notice the gaps — between what you say matters and what your actions actually show when pressure hits.

R — Reflection

You don’t rush past the discomfort.
You reflect on why the misalignment is there — patterns, habits, beliefs, environments.

R — Reframe

Once you see clearly, you change the way you interpret the situation.
Not denial. Not positivity. A more accurate frame that allows movement.

O — Ownership

This is where change becomes real.
You take responsibility for what you can control — without shame, and without waiting for others to change first.

R — Rebuild

You rebuild with stronger foundations.
Better roots. Clearer boundaries. Actions that match your values — so the same breakdown doesn’t keep repeating.

The goal isn’t perfection - It’s awareness early enough to choose differently.

How people work with the M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula

The M.I.R.R.O.R. Formula isn’t something you read once and move on from.
It’s something you return to — especially when pressure, confusion, or old patterns start to creep back in.

Some people use it privately, as a way of checking in with themselves and course-correcting before things drift too far.

Others use it with support — to slow down their thinking, ask better questions, and rebuild in a way that actually lasts.

There’s no “right pace” and no expectation to have everything figured out.
The work meets you where you are and gives you a structure to move forward with clarity.

The goal is progress you can recognise — not promises you can’t keep.