It really depends on the size of the websites and the amount of work you need to do to maintain them. I know webmasters with just one site and others with hundreds.

Working hard is another issue. I'm hardly ever away from a PC, so it seems endless sometimes.

[edited by: bill at 2:59 am (utc) on Dec. 21, 2009]

I have a few sites, but only one really big one. Like Bill, I'm rarely away from a computer. Even vacations are not vacations any more. But there are positive trade-offs. I can take any day off any time I want to spend with my family... =)

Some folks I know have a good support staff to help them. I have a good volunteer mod staff helping me. You reach a point where you just need help if you ever want to take time off.

build task lists and group them according to project and context. that way I only work on one thing at a time and remain focused.
Also, the less time I spend on work the more productive I am. Being honest to yourself pays best IMO. No reason to sit in front of a PC all day if you really work for 4-6 hours.

I run 7 sites, two of them bringing in 90% of my income between them. I work full time hours on them even if it is not yet providing a full income.
At the beginning of each month, after doing some checks on analytics and database backups, I plan (possibly only in my mind) what I am going to do to which websites during the following month. This plan may involve working on one site for the whole month
I also do a mini plan each weekend for the following week. This enables me to stay focused most of the time with set times for general planning.

Thank you guys for replies. I guess my biggest problem is that I take on a new project before finish the current one. May be I still need to learn a thing or two about time management.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I have over half-a-dozen and it's getting confusing so what I try to do is prioritize. On day X I focus on Site X, etc., or if I have a particular goal for one site, I make sure I complete it (no matter how antsy I am to get going on something else) so i can have that off my mind and move on.

It's tough and takes some serious time managment and even patience. I always have this feeling I want it all done YESTERDAY so it can start working for me, but reality is that's just not possible.

So, deep breaths, try to learn to finish one task / site so it's at a point where you are only updating it and keeping it fresh, etc. Then move onto another one - just some friendly suggestions from one who's been there and still doing it (and still making a few more!)

As for how long I work, sometimes 14 to 16 hour days, but when it's too much, I'll day an entire day or two away from the computer to recharge... and I need those, too, although while I do that I'm always trying to think of ways to improve, creative, good content to add...

Sigh. I think I just live and breath this work. :)

How do you guys manage to keep up with more then two web sites?

I have a very long queue of routine maintenance tasks and new projects I want to complete. I try to order them in terms of what will make the most money per hour. Sometimes I feel like I'm playing the whack a mole game as I'll work on one site and get its income up then another one will start to slip and I'll have to go back to that one. Mainly I work on one site for a week or two and then move on to a different site.

Hire a virtual assistant. You can use ELance, Craigslist or just Google Virtual Assistant/Web Assistant. They can do the work you don't have time to do. You can hire them for certain projects. Sometimes it is the only way to stay on top of things.

[edited by: engine at 3:43 pm (utc) on Dec. 14, 2009]
[edit reason] See WebmasterWorld TOS [/edit]

I guess my biggest problem is that I take on a new project before finish the current one.

I'm there too. There are times of the year when I just get more ideas than I can handle (one man band here).

• I keep a list of projects and pending points
  
• I order the list by priority
  
• Try my best to work only on beginning to end projects (not on incomplete ones)
  
• Try my best to switch tasks as little as possible (variety keeps me motivated but makes things slow)
  

Honestly I'm trying a new approach. Instead of working continuously on my websites, I plan and do heavy work on certain month, then I use my own CMS to publish the notes from time to time. In short: I do the work of 4 months in one. This keeps my stress levels low.

I have now like 10 websites and now I feel the pressure. What I truly hate is link development :(

Therer are lots of features and methods to automate huge part of th work. Use it.