Researcher Edwin Locke found that individuals who set specific, difficult goals performed better than those who set general, easy goals. Locke proposed five basic principles of goal-setting: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.

The 70-25-5 principle works like this: Dedicate 70% of your time working in areas where you're strongest. Give 25% of your time to working on things you want to improve. Spend 5% of your time working on areas of weakness.