... with the idea of full-time careers vs. motherhood, and all the challenges and guilt that arises from the decisions we make every day.

Is there such a thing as balance? Or is it an illusion? Those who say they've achieved life balance, are they telling the truth or just fooling themselves? Is it possible to find a balance between motherhood and a career that suits everyone involved?

The other day I promised myself that I'm going to work on this project every day (except over the weekends) and I am thrilled with how it instantly improved my General Sense of Accomplishment.

Ms.D is never far from my thoughts now. She's hovering. This is good.

Also, I am realizing why it is that we get our best ideas in the shower. There's no noise or thought or attention pollution... i'm alone with thoughts and water and soap and my ideas.

Long showers, quiet drives, powerwalks. I think I'm on to something.

The subject of women in business is looming - on paper and in my head.

Ms.D and I have talked about what it's like to be a business woman in an executive work environment.

At one point I asked her about high school.

"The word that used to come back to me was snob," she said. "It’s all the same theme. You know whether someone in high school called me a snob or someone today tells me I’m unapproachable or uses a word like “intimidating” or “aggressive” or “type A” … it’s the same word. It’s the same thing. It’s the same feedback."

I'm asking myself:

- what personality traits does a woman need to be successful in business and how can those traits be cultivated?
- about the idea of friends in the workplace: necessary? doable? sanity-saving? a good strategy? overstepping? alienating? risky?

Oh man.

It seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it - scheduling creativity - but if a project has to be completed it can't be done any other way.

For awhile I was devoting a block of time working on this job once a week. Fridays were interview and transcribing time. It took me a few months to figure out that this hasn't really been working for me.

It just takes too long to get into it after 7 days of going without it. (Although I do want to point out that I haven't exactly been twiddling my thumbs. I have other writing jobs, and I have been doing related reading!) But it just hasn't been enough.

I talked to someone about it recently and she gave me some great advice. I'm working on this project a little bit every day. I shut down my email and ignore everything else, and focus. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Sometimes it takes someone else to point out the obvious.

The results have been good. Doing a bit every day has been keeping it all fresh in my mind. I feel like I'm in control and it all seems much more manageable.

Ms. D tries to be mindful in regards to everyday interactions with the people around her. Is she more mindful than others? Every time you interact with someone, she says, you have the opportunity to build them up or tear them down. Which are you going to do?