As the new year begins, San Francisco residents across the city are making New Year’s resolutions.
Trisha Lee’s goal for the year: To knit herself a sweater. “I just ordered the yarn and tools last week,” Lee said. The yarn she chose is light blue, light orange and light yellow.
Hanging out with her at Dolores Park were Cobi McCracken and their dog, Emma.
Lee imagined what Emma’s resolution might be: “Probably to be more independent. She is clingy. She comes everywhere with us.”
McCracken has a more lofty goal: to write a poem a day. Though he’s only ever written poetry “mandated in school” he just wrote three poems in Christmas cards: One for his parents, one for Lee’s parents, and a limerick for Lee.
“I stick to haikus normally, but I’d like to try other styles,” McCracken said.
Tony Pizza chose a word, a color and an animal to carry with him through the year: Discomfort, black and the beaver.
“Black is a little bit like death, and the beaver is an industrious homemaker,” Pizza said.
His wife, Kristy Pizza, wants to “embrace transition” and be “really present with my family and kids. I have a senior, so it’s the last year with him.”
She also aims to read 70 books; books on self-help, enlightenment and “meaningful” fiction.
Kristy wasn’t the only one who wants to read more. It was, by far, the most popular resolution among everyone Mission Local spoke with.
Rachel Halilej’s goal is to read 20 books this year, focusing on “fun” mysteries and character dramas.
William Turmon hopes to read more about economics, history and social causes. A favorite of his this year was “The High Cost of Free Parking” by Donald Shoup, which criticizes the minimum parking requirements that many American cities have.
Gerard Morales also wants to read more and “stay off my phone for much longer durations of time. Less doomscrolling.”
Adrienne Rios hopes to break her DoorDashing habit. “It’s gotten way too expensive,” she said. “I mean, you’re paying $7 just to order a pizza.”
Many are hoping for big things for themselves in the new year.
“In 2026, I want to just really go for everything,” said Liam, who is getting an associate’s degree in kinesiology to become a physical therapist. “If I want something, I want to apply myself and see how close I get to it.”
Liam enjoys helping patients rehab from knee injuries. “When they’re healing, it’s humbling,” Liam said. “People come out a lot stronger, and often have totally different perceptions about working and the type of life they’re living.”
Don Kim’s New Year’s resolution is to “be a better father, husband and grow my business tenfold. Hockey stick growth.”
He runs a screenprinting business called 13 Gallons in the Outer Mission, just south of the San Francisco-Daly City border. Recently, they’ve been making a lot of merch for AI companies, but they’ve also made merch for June Jordan High School in the Excelsior, San Francisco City Football Club, and the Daly City Fire Department.
“We made their hats and their uniforms,” Kim said.
Others are looking to take a step back from work, including tech worker Samiha Binte Hassan, whose resolution is to be “funemployed because I’m worked to death.”
She wants to “gracefully let go of my work and recover for three months.”
The other day, Binte Hassan was watching the Bollywood movie “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” which follows a group of three friends taking a road trip across Spain.
“When I used to watch this movie as a kid, I used to think of the guy who’s a workaholic: ‘How do you get to that stage? Yuck,’” said Binte Hassan. “And I saw the movie the other day, and I was like, ‘Oh no, this is bad.’”
Luna, accompanied by her dog Chiquita, is aiming to keep “thinking positive” in the new year.
“I was coming from trauma before I got into recovery,” she said. “It’s been a year and a half that I’ve not been drinking.”
“I feel good about myself that I’m going to make it to 56.”
A woman in the Panhandle who declined to give her name is also looking to make some permanent lifestyle changes this year.
“It turns out that I have a problem with the valves that return the blood to my heart in my legs. And so I probably need to quit sugar and wheat for real,” she said. In past years, she’s done Dry January and quit sugar and wheat for the month.
She’ll also need to elevate her feet three times a day, wear compression socks, and do physical therapy exercises.
The tradeoff for her health is worth it, though she’ll miss sugar a lot. “I think life is still worth living, but Bi-Rite salted caramel ice cream is very good.”
Mission Local: I can’t believe you just found a guy named Tony Pizza. Incredible. Can’t forget his wife Kristy Pizza.
Yes to reading!
The San Francisco Public Library is one of the greatest systems in the country with the best staff.
We need to support our public third spaces. Go visit your local branch. You will not be disappointed.
2025 was a banner year for books, especially young adult fiction and non-fiction. Not your mama’s Twilight (although the new Hunger Games was really compelling). The Leaving Room, Murder in the Jungle, Compound Fracture, Ariel Crashes a Train, Sisters in the Wind. All excellent.
SFPL offers paper books, of course. Hoopla has audiobooks, and an incredibly broad and diverse collection of music and movies. Libby has a fantastic selection. PressReader has every imaginable magazine.
Howzabout more commitment to fight fascism? Come on, folks, it’s here!
“Futurists” enjoy the trains being on time. Nothing else matters.
As an Outer Mission resident, please note that this neighborhood is entirely within the San Francisco city limits, it borders Daly City.
Joe or Ms. Gilman,
I know this is picky for a stream-of-consciousness free verse type such as myself but would you please capitalize the ‘C’ in city when referring to SF ?
I know you said she was raised in the City in the previous sentence and I should therefore infer that in your next sentence when you said she’d worked “in the city”, but I honestly didn’t know which city you meant.
My own style is to write to be jarring on purpose and whenever writers began to capitalize that ‘C’ I thought it was a bit arrogant but now it fits.
In fact, when people who write for a living refer to SF as a city and don’t capitalize it, I assume they’re from outta town and missed the memo.
My own goal this year is to help get Supervisor Connie Chan elected to the U.S. Congress and get a conversation started as to why SF needs an elected Police Chief.
There go those caps again.
lol
go Niners !!
h.
H. —
That’s Examiner style. Not anyone else’s.
Best,
JE
Joe,
“I did not know that.”
(a phrase favored by Johnny Carson)
And, don’t disparage the Examiner so broadly.
They had Adriel Hampton as a 22 year-old City Editor.
JK Dineen was a veteran of gossip rags and under 30.
Warren Hinckle had an antique British phone booth in his office.
Samson Wong knew more about San Francisco Chinese politics past and present than anyone alive.
Frank Gallagher’s witt and ruthless style humbled many a politico and pretender.
There were more but off the top of my ‘early demented’ head those are the ones I best recall.
Like Camelot, it had a short shelf life.
Go Niners !!
h.