The line does become a little hazy at times. Awareness in my lucids seems to vary along a spectrum. True, there are dreams where I am pretty much in my "right mind" and am thinking almost like I do in waking life, but it seems in most of them my thoughts are a little different from waking life thoughts. I am often easily distracted and interested in things that wouldn't normally interest me. Sometimes my thoughts in lucid dreams are downright strange even though I am completely aware I am dreaming. Like in my LD from a couple of nights ago. I was talking to my band's drummer when he shrank to the size of a smurf. For some reason I thought it would be hilarious to go put him inside the upright bass. Not what I would usually think of as a dream goal. But I was completely lucid at the time.

I really have the best control and feel most accomplished in the morning when I have a very clear goal for my lucid that I think about during the day and as I fall asleep (or WILD). Sounds like that is what you are doing with the doors. I am working on the doors to other locations thing too. I have no problem finding doors in dreams. It is having what I want on the other side that gives me trouble. Especially in a familiar location like my house. The door will always lead where it does in real life. I am experimenting with using portals instead, hoping that since I don't encounter them every day I can control them better.