If you work for yourself, I’m sure you’ve been there: sitting at your desk, staring at your marketing to-do list, knowing you really need to get this work done, and yet you just can’t seem to get going — you’re just not in the mood.

You wonder if it is even possible to motivate yourself to embark upon your marketing plans, especially when you don’t feel like it.

Yes, it is! When you’re just not feeling it, try these three things to help you shift your mindset and see how easy it can be to get moving again.

Take a Tiny Step
As my Dad used to say, “Let’s do something, even if it is wrong.” He was always an advocate for action as a way to figure things out. While it can be difficult to get moving, even the tiniest of steps make a difference when you’re feeling stuck, unmotivated, or overwhelmed. Your inner saboteur may be telling you that the next move you make has to be bold, yet it’s the tiny things that add up over time to make tremendous change. Taking any step helps create momentum and provides the possibility for continued movement.

Recall Marketing You’ve Done
Remember that time you made a follow-up call and the client hired you? Or the time you asked for a referral and got one? And what about the time you sent out a newsletter with an amazing offer and people took you up on it? Recalling successful marketing efforts from the past primes your mind and creates a Pavlovian response that craves both action and results. Pick several examples of marketing that you’ve done in the past, visualize those successes, and let the good vibes carry you forward.

Focus on One Thing
Staring at the entire list of marketing activities may seem daunting, so instead, just focus on one thing. Just. One. Thing. Breathe. You don’t climb a mountain all at once, or build a house in a day; it’s too overwhelming. Make things simple by focusing on one thing – the smaller the better – and shut out all the other options, possibilities, tasks, and nagging feelings. By doing this you can look back later and see how far you’ve come, and then focus on the next thing. One thing at a time.

Marketing is something you do to make sure you stay in business. That’s the only way you can continue to bring your gifts to the world, which allows you to make money, which helps bring meaning to both your life and the lives of your clients. Take the time right now to call a prospect, send an email to follow up, visit a referral partner, book a speaking gig, write an article, attend a networking group, schedule lunch with a former client, ask for a testimonial, and engage in any other marketing activity that moves you.

Picture being successful. Notice how good it feels being in action. Focus on one thing. Take the tiniest of steps. And applaud yourself for being the successful business owner you are.