Your ambition and your personal life can sometimes be at odds when it comes to professional development. How can you come out ahead?

That, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Go forward: Personal relationships can endanger career development. If you’ve ever chosen your family or friends over a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you know what I’m talking about. As a professional, you imagine a path to success, sometimes failing to account for marriage, kids, and unforeseen obstacles that could potentially stand in your way. Emily Esfahani Smith, associate editor of The New Criterion,  raises a question most of us would prefer to avoid: “Ambition drives people forward; relationships and community, by imposing limits, hold people back. Which is more important?”

Show your support: Volunteers play a huge role in the successes of many associations. What’s the best way to show your volunteers how much you appreciate their time and effort? Do Good Lab, an international development organization in San Francisco that relies on a huge all-volunteer staff, focuses on building personal relationships and expressing the value of volunteer contributions at every turn. “The organization makes a big effort to show ‘outward appreciation’ through regular team meet-ups, parties, and annual events. This creates momentum and makes volunteering fun, engaging, and rewarding,” according to a post on Volunteer Match.

Calm your nerves: How do you confront stressful situations? Do you share with the people around you or do you keep to yourself? Ever try singing? That’s what longtime association consultant Steve Drake of SCD Group recommends. Really. Drake sings Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is” to himself when he needs to improve his mood. If singing’s not your style, Drake also recommends eliminating interruptions, scheduling your day, and prioritizing so that you can deal with the challenges at hand.

What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in the comments.

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