Life is short.

You could be a beggar on the street. Or a CEO of a fortune 500 company. Either way you're only given twenty four hours a day to play with. So...what are you going to do with it?

Ever wonder how some people seem to be able to accomplish so much more in a day, while others end their day wondering where all their time went to?

Since there is no way to make a day last more than twenty four hours, the next best thing to do is to efficiently maximize productivity by looking at how we are using our time. Here are five tips to help you accomplish that.

1. Make a to-do List: Having a to-do list gives you a sense of direction and lets you know exactly what you are going to accomplish for that day. A common mistake is trying to do too many things at a time, and ending up feeling disappointed that you accomplished none of them. This is normal and as time goes by, you will have a firmer grasp of your own abilities.

2. First things first: Here's a tip that will completely change your life. Complete the most important task of the day as early as possible. It'll give you a peace of mind for the rest of the day to do anything you want at your own leisure once you've completed the important tasks.

3. Focus on one thing at a time: Being busy most of the time does not make you efficient. Most people overlook the importance of focusing on one thing at a time. While multi-tasking is a common activity in today's fast-paced world, Most people overestimate their ability and try to accomplish multiple tasks at the same time. Focusing on one thing at a time not only allows you to keep your concentration, it also enables you to generate high quality results in a shorter amount of time compared to when your attention is not distracted by multiple tasks.

4. Give yourself a break: All work and no play, makes Jack (and the rest of us) a dull boy. Workaholics often think that taking a break is a waste of time when it can be spend on the next task. The truth of the matter is that this is not only bad for your health but it can also quickly drain you out. You need energy in order to function properly. Take a break. Slot in a power nap. Even a short 10 minutes break can help keep your mind refresh.

5. Do not stress out: It can be very overwhelming at times to have many things to accomplish in a short period of time. This overwhelming feeling can also lead to feelings of frustration and this generates stress. Remember and realize that this feeling of stress is NOT going to help you in ANY way at all. Instead, calm your self down and take it one at a time. Ultimately, this will also train you to handle difficult time-critical situations better.

If you are take action and implement the give steps in this article, you will begin to see an increase on your productivity at the same time feeling good accomplishing more with less stress in a day.