How many projects are you juggling?

I like to complete projects before I start new ones, or at least get the project to a point in which its easily maintainable and you have time for a new. Its less headache for me and feels more organized.
I've got 3 going ATM.

You are much better off focusing all your attention on just one project. The moment you spread yourself too wide, things will take longer to complete and you will find the quality suffers a little. The reason most people juggle projects is to try and spread the risk. If you try 10 things then you have a better chance of succeeding than if you try just one thing, right? But it's not really true because when you juggle ten things it will take you ten times as long to figure out none of those things worked. So just focus on one project at a time, give it all you have, and get them out there and launched as soon as possible.

Two of my own, one for the bread and butter client, and at least a dozen in concept stage ;-)

Best to focus on one thing at a time, and leave nothing half done. Internet is so infinite!

Beware of attention scatter, 'noise', and todo list chaos. It's easier to be effective

when you put your time and investments into a single definite purpose. (or two?)

Once each project has momentum and is in 'ready state', on to the next!

Three. My network. Freelancing. My partner network.

I would recommend sticking to one or two that are working for you and pay well- the most bang for your buck, if you will. However, I do not heed my own advice. I always have a ton of irons in the fire, not willing to give any of them up and taking on new things when I find then because they seem like such great ideas. So, while I know it is better to concentrate on what is working and devote yourself fully to that, I suppose it is just not everyone's style to do so.

Well the newbys have about 10, I have one at a time I concentrate on but many I have to work on in the mean time.

I am saying that I have one project that is top priority, nothing else gets done that day till I finish those goals then I work on what i have out there already.

Only when you find out you need to nail your chair to the floor and finish something will you see great returns from it.

Good Luck to you.

Personally I'm working on three things- my referral marketing SaaS, an online magazine and my own blog. I focus 90% on the first, though. I write for the magazine to keep my writing skills sharp. My own blog is something that I can completely ignore for months if I have to.

I think here's what I'd recommend- it's not a matter of "many small projects vs. few big projects". Ask yourself what you want to achieve. What is it that you want to learn? I'd pick projects that allowed me to learn and grow as much as possible, as long as I'm paying the bills and saving a little.

Never spread yourself too thin. If you find yourself struggling to deliver 80% of your best on any project, kill something.

At the same time, don't overly fetishize the "single grand project". Try to always do stuff that has a clear roadmap to completion... unless you're completely okay with it not having one.

That's just my perspective. Your mileage may vary. If nothing else, just remember to take time every now and then to sit down and evaluate how you feel about where you are. That's more important than any advice anybody can give you.

-v

I will always focus on one project at a time first. Doing more then one project at a time means that each of the project is not getting 100% of the attention. I would rather do well in one project than to put in half effort in multiple projects and getting mediocre results.

I have about 5-6 that a juggle on a daily basis and I pop a lot of BC headache powder because of it. At this point I will succeed or die...lol

It doesn't matter how much projects your work on at a time or in a day. It depends on how much you put yourself and focus on the particular project to make most of it.

I currently have two projects and my attitude changes accordingly. Like in the Forex product, I need to be more professional and decent as well as formal to make the product classic. on the other hand I'am working on a baby day care product with my partner so I need to be more creative and funny there to deliver more entertaining content.

Someone has said " Your Behavior can easily be determined by the things you write". I think me myself has said that.

Good luck!

4 new - 9 established - 7 recurring

I try my best to focus on one project at the time, but I don't have any problems with taking on a second, smaller project.

I would advice to mainly focus on 1 project and then when you start making some decent profits you can take on a second project.

One of the biggest mistakes I made in the beginning was spreading myself to thin. Choose your best idea and hammer it.

My objective is to have 10 products for sale, all related to each other. I build one at a time, but I often tweak things in previous projects or think of ideas for my future ones.

I'm involved in 5-10 products at any given time, but only focus a core of my effort on 1-2 at a time.

2-3 projects at a time ... but the basic reason is that I am not the one doing the content (I do the tech work, a partner does the content) so I am working on one or two projects while the content for the next one is being developed.

Never more than 2-3 projects at a time is a good rule of thumb. That being said, I think a lot depends on how much you are involved in the projects. If you can get reliable outsourcers to do most of the work, you could just manage. If that's all you're doing, you could probably do 10 and not break a sweat.

Focus on a very small number and do those well ... otherwise you could burn yourself out juggling, which sounds more fun than it is!

You'll notice an immediate difference in job satisfaction once your projects become manageable.

Online - One
Offline - 2

Only if the person has a proven track record of being able to multi-task and work on mutliple projects and see them to completion. Otherwise, no. It's generally better to focus on one project at a time, especially if you have a limited budget and limited time.

Yes. When I first got started 14 years ago, I made the mistake of starting a handful of projects. And guess what? None of them really got finished until I began focusing on only one project.

RoD

I started lots of projects at the start and achieved nothing.

Much better to focus on one at the beginning - test, test , test and then scale.

My problem is that I'm like a rapid fire machine gun of, what I believe, great ideas. I share them with my best friend so that he can implement some of my ideas because I couldn't possibly do them all.

Still, I do end up with quite a few ideas that I want to build myself in my own way etc. etc. etc.

As a result I've got at least 8 open projects and 3 maintenance projects. If I really think hard about it I can probably name closer to 12 projects that need my attention as my other sites require my full attention and after I write for and maintain those sites I'm spent as far as article writing, movie making and image slideshows.

I know this isn't good but it's the truth.

My biggest problem is that I don't have a partner to split up the workload a bit because once I take care of my main websites I feel mentally spent and then looking at all the other projects needing my attention I sometimes end up shutting down inside and feeling overwhelmed.

This doesn't happen as often any more but I still need to find the time to develop those other niche specific projects.

It sucks sometimes when your mind comes up with new ideas while you're lying down and wanting to fall asleep.

In my opinion you can either juggle a few really small projects, or focus on just one bigger project. From my own experience I'd say you need to know your own limits very well, and also the fact that if you don't organize, you agonize...

I personally like to stick to one project at a time, maybe 2 max. I dont see the point in juggling with 5+ half-arsed projects at once when I can simply focus and pull out a great one.

Also, I rarely do more than 2 or 3 projects a year. Again, same concept: quality and focus over quality and half-cooked ideas.

There's a great chapter in 'The Artists Way' that talks about over-splitting of efforts and trails of incomplete projects. One thing the author suggests that can sort of 'fix the mind' is to set about completing some little thing that's been hanging around waiting for us. Perhaps a few little things, in the morning on a day when there are no pressing engagements but we're left to our own productivity. After getting that feeling of "finishing" some things, the brain sort of gets addicted and suddenly there's motivation to finish more things. I should do this exercise again ;-)

RE; Ideas coming when we're just about to fall asleep: There's a science behind the state of mind between wakefulness and sleep and many great discoveries and inventions and such have come from this state of mind. A note about balance and good sleep though: Best to turn off electonics at least a couple of hours before sleeping just so that we can get ourselves into a peaceful natural state. I know this is one I struggle with as I keep on wanting to code until I'm just to tired to go on! And people wonder why I give them the cold shoulder when they approach me about partnering up on new projects! There's just too many ideas to chase them all. Maybe some day we can all be expert internet marketers and business people and outsource all of our ideas into reality. Isn't that the dream?

Although I know I'm doing it wrong....I have several projects at any given time. I bounce between them all during the day. Again, completely WRONG way to do business and I know it. Been working on trying to wrap my head around just working on one site at a time but I'm struggling.

This is an excellent question and very topical! When I first began, I was like Jesus at the Wedding when they ran out of wine! I placed as many empty pots as I could muster online and waited for them all to fill up. Of course, they did begin to fill....to the brink and onto the floor! Working for myself became anything but "fun".

After about 6 months of chaos, I unplugged. I shut everything down but three things: One great money maker which I love but which needs constant attention, one project that is stable and steady income, and one new "pet" project.

In the world of online marketing, I also believe that you should always include a certain amount of time into your daily schedule for combinations of research, education, instruction, and just keeping current.

Sometimes, I must admit, three projects seems like too many. I many need to take another pot out of the middle of the room.

:p

Work on as many as you can in the early stages with a disregard for perfection. The extra experience is worth more than the two dollars you'll squeeze out of just one site at that stage anyway.

Once you know what you are doing there is no correct answer. Characteristics of the individual projects will decide how many you can work on at once. But it's a very good idea to diversify. Nothing in this business is forever.

2 continually working on and 1about to start

The best option is to simply focus on one main goal at a time. Work on it to the exclusion of all else. If there are other projects that MUST be done at the same time, see if there is some way you can outsource.

It is not a good idea to spread yourself too thin.

More goes unaccomplished that way and you end up tired and frustrated!

I am Handling 5 Projects Simultaneously.......

Two. A software company and a forum community. Interesting contrasting the two i.e one is not social per se, the other is the opposite. One charges for the product, the other gives it away.

I am actively working on one right now while using the remainder of my time to think of a new project to start working on. It is best to work on one project at a time and only start working on the next when you have finished the first one.

Of course, when it comes to creating websites, you never are really "done".

2 different sites at the moment. But it is easy to get tempted to keep "expanding" as something tempting pops into your mind. The problem with that is you get into the mindset of the grass being greener on the other side and never really get much out of any of your projects.

Perhaps set a $ target that you can only start a new project once you make X in projectY. That will it will cause you to work harder so you can try some new project that sounds tempting.

One or two major ones works for me.I like working on one or two major ones unless i am convinced that i am now in a position to add another one based on my ability to manage them all.
Though sometime i get tempted to go for more.
But if you have the power go for more.
Cheers!

The most was 8 and that was hard so now my rule is never more then 4. And that works great for me

I focus on one project at a time for 80% of the time and 20% on another. My goal is to get more projects completed - not more projects in the hopper. Focusing on one project helps curb any tendency to jump into something new. You know, that shiny object syndrome. I also am writing out the weekly game plan in a planning journal. That also helps me keep the focus.

One or two big project, definitely. It helps me boost my moral when I am able to cross of a project from the to-do list, which was utterly impossible when I was handling more of them at once. Plus, with one or two project you start building a momentum and things get done faster and easier that way.