Happy New Year, friends! Do you have resolutions and plans for the year? For me, this is my first year to set year-long goals. I also found something that helped: an overarching word.

The word "skimming" can refer to two things:

1. removing the layer of scum from the top of a liquid, especially cream
2. reading, studying, or examining superficially

When it comes to the New Year, I'm using "skimming," the second definition, to remind myself to take calculated risks.

I have a bit of an engineer brain. I gravitate toward systems. Before I start projects, I want to be able to visualize them from start to finish. Of course, real life is usually the opposite. We’re put in situations where we have no idea how we got there or how to move forward. But we progress anyway because that’s the only thing to do.

My goals for this year include:

• increasing my financial literacy and revising my savings plan
• learning to interview candidates for job positions
• learning concepts of visual design such as color theory and wireframes
• expanding my repertoire of cooked and baked items

The principle of skimming says that I don’t need to have in-depth knowledge of those subjects to use them in my daily life. I just need to be functional in them. I can always go deeper later, if I so choose.

Here’s to a year of skimming and minimal analysis paralysis 🎉