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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.
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Lee imagined what Emma’s resolution might be: “Probably to be more independent. She is clingy. She comes everywhere with us.”
Tony and Kristy Pizza at Castro and 18th. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman
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 of everyone Mission Local spoke with.
Rachel Halilej’s goal is to read 20 books this year, focusing on “fun” mysteries and character dramas.
Rachel Halilej, Lauren Halilej, and Kelli Brock on Clement Street. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman
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.
William Turmon at the bar High Treason on Clement Street. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman
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 on Clement Street. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman
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 “fun-employed because I’m worked to death.”
She wants to “gracefully let go of my work and recover for three months.”
Samiha Binte Hassan at Dolores Park. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman
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.”
Chiquita the dog, placed on a tree branch by her owner, Luna. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman
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 one month.
She’ll also need to elevate her feet three times a day, wear compression socks, and do physical therapy exercises.
The trade-off 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.”
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