If you saw this weekend’s Super Bowl, you are probably suffering from a serious case of underwhelm. The whole game had a feeling of “Monday morning blah’s.” No passion. No excitement. No results.

We all know Denver is much more capable of performing better than the display we saw this week. So what happened? I believe they were suffering from the REACTOR factor. That first strange play right at the beginning threw them off their game…and for some reason; it kept them off their game for the duration.

If you’ve ever had a negative start to your day, you know how just one thing can affect the whole tone of your day if you let it.

There are three possible reactions to a negative start.

1. You give up (We all know what that looks like!)
2. You get angry
3. You stay focused

If you give up, you could end up losing the one thing you’ve worked so very hard to accomplish. You could be within a couple of hours of massive success, and totally blow it. Giving up shows itself as a lack of passion and energy. We saw that on display Sunday.

If you get angry, you could do irreparable damage. This is definitely not the solution.

But if you stay focused, no matter what, you can push through the negative, and you could very well win in the end…simply by applying mind over matter.

Here are some ways to create the kind of REACTOR factor that will help you win the game.

Recognize your opponent. These can be people, thoughts, ideas, things – anything that threatens to deter you from your goals. We all have opponents – they will come. And sometimes “they” are “us”. But if you are prepared, you will be able to anticipate their moves and strategically work around them.

Engage in your strengths. No one gets to the Super Bowl without extensive training and conditioning. Without that, there would be serious injury. Your Super Bowl will come – be sure you are well conditioned.

Acknowledge the problem, then focus on a wise solution. Burying your head in the sand or acting without thought are both recipes for disaster. Ignoring a 250-pound linebacker will not make him go away.

Communicate well. When confronted with a situation, you must be able to communicate calmly and clearly. Very often, the person who controls the tongue controls the situation.

Take your time. Uncontrolled reaction at high speed is explosive. There is a need to pause, take a breath, and determine a swift but controlled reaction to certain situations.

Own your part in the problem. The old adage holds true – there are, indeed, two sides to every story. Starting from that perspective ensures a more measured reaction to a situation.

Reflect, don’t repel. It is better to ask a question than to start an argument. Ultimately, the goal should be to attack the problem and not the person. There are penalties for that.

Most of us started out the new year with a plan of action. The question is, do you also have your plan of reaction as well?