Could babies pacify the voice in my head, or will they only make it louder?

No matter what I accomplish, I am always aware of this nagging feeling that I could/should be doing more.

I normally attribute this feeling to being self-employed (my boss rocks) while I chase my sailor around the globe. I’m a freelance writer and personal trainer, but both allow me lots of freedom. I’ve been volunteering, taking guitar, learning Italian and keeping a happy, well-fed house, but the feeling still looms.

It's not so much the voice of ambition as it is a whiny, judgmental, anal-retentive list maker. Yes, it's just as annoying as it sounds.

Up until last night, I’d been telling myself that the feeling would go away once we have children. My thinking was that if at the end of each day I could point to a child and say, “I made this, and I’ve managed to keep it alive,” then I would finally feel at peace with my life’s accomplishments.

Up until last night, this gave me hope that there would be an end to this feeling.

So, on to last night…

I was emailing with a friend who is in medical school via the Air Force and just had her first baby. She was saying how she is working so hard, but her job is never really completed at school or at home, and she always feels like she should be spending more time with her baby.

Wait… stop everything…

What I’m hearing is that this feeling is only going to get worse when I have kids. If she has accomplished so much yet still seeks to improve and be/do even more, how can I possibly expect to shake this annoying little voice that never seems satiated?

Don't get me wrong, I want kids and all they come with, but right now I’d settle for shoving a pacifier in my psyche.