The fact of the matter is that you deal with guilt more than you’d like when you work in social media.

There’s the guilt of having to respond to something quickly while you’re in the middle of celebrating a holiday with family. There’s the guilt of not being able to get the right numbers for your client. And there’s the guilt that you’re just not living up to your potential. Some of this is real and some of it is imagined. But regardless, the guilt is there and deeply felt.

So what can you do to survive and make your career long-lasting? It’s easy to simply say that you need to let go of the guilt, but there’s definitely more to it.

The guilt of letting down your family

Look, there is going to come a time when you have to work on Christmas. In fact, there have been very few Christmases I haven’t done some level of work. If a post goes up on Christmas, you have to check it regardless of whether you scheduled it. You have to make sure it posted correctly and that the comments are not going sideways. It’s just a part of the job.

And no matter how hard I try to push it down, it comes with guilt. I now have a young daughter who wants to play with me, especially on days that include brand new toys. And I want to make all of her dreams come true, but there are times I have to say no and that means when work has to happen.

Keep it in perspective: Frankly I have a very flexible job. I can pick up my daughter every day from school. And more often than not, I can fit my work around life and not the other way around. That is a privilege I very much enjoy. But it comes with downfalls, like any job does. I have to work nights, weekends and holidays. It’s a constant whirlwind because of the nature of social media. But still… I get to put my daughter first most of the time.

Work with it: If I know that I have to work on a holiday or during family time, I’ll do my best to work it into my family schedule. Maybe I’ll only work during my daughter’s nap time or maybe I’ll tell my partner he needs to do a daddy-daughter date during that time. I know she’s resting or she’s having loads of fun with her dad, and that helps with the guilt.

The guilt of letting down a client

It feels really bad when you don’t reach the goals for your client. You sign with these clients because they fit you, and they put their belief in you. To let them down and not reach those goals just feels like you’ve wasted that belief.

Keep it in perspective: Is this the first time you’ve not reached goals? Are you regularly making things happen for this client? And do the numbers not tell the story of something amazing that happened that month? Honestly, even on a bad month, I usually can find a big win that made a huge difference for a client, and I try to focus on that story rather than the one the numbers are telling.

Work with it: Let this moment fuel you. Take a deep dive and figure out what went wrong. And more importantly, figure out what went right. Build on the good things and start throwing away what is not working. If the client is not happy about something you’re trying to do more of or trying to get rid of, show them the numbers that back you up. Let them be the start of a conversation that gets your social media strategy into a better place.

But also, keep in mind that it may not have been anything you had done. Maybe a major news story happened, and it had such legs that there was no way your message could get through. So don’t run towards figuring out what needs to stay and go away without also putting it into perspective when certain posts may have gone out.

The guilt of not living up to your potential

I want to do big things, and I know that’s true of most social media managers. We want our strategy to be complex and interesting. And we want to take big swings when we’re up to bat.

Keep it in perspective: But the reality is that sometimes less is more. And a bunt is sometimes better at moving a client along than a home run. If you’re wondering if you’re really making a difference, look at where you are since you began with this client or since you started your business. Seeing all that progress will probably make you feel like you’re making a whole lot more progress than you think and living up to your potential just fine.

Work with it: Hunger is always a good thing. It will make you try to do something a little more creative for your clients. Just don’t let it take you over and make you do some scope creep. So keep that hunger somewhat balanced, and every time you feel it go out of balance, take a look back at what you have accomplished.

How are you working with your guilt? Is it making you better at your job or worse?