COSTA MESA, Calif.—As 2021 approached its end, people were making New Year’s resolutions to bring more joy and happiness into their lives. The Epoch Times reached out to Southern California residents in a local shopping mall to learn about the goals they wanted to achieve in 2022.
Frank Reyes, a maintenance worker in Huntington Beach visiting the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, said there were a lot of things he wanted to do, but his top priority was to always be healthy.
“I definitely need to do more exercises, eat healthy. Hopefully I can save enough money for a new car or buy a house,” Reyes said.
Garland Cobb, a Riverside County resident who was window-shopping with his family at South Coast Plaza, said he wanted to commit more to maintaining a healthy body.
“I hope I can walk and stretch more often and do more window-shopping so I can keep my blood pressure lower. Exercises help me to relieve the stresses that I get from day-to-day work and news,” Cobb said.
Matthew Alba, a sophomore majoring in English at California Baptist University, said that as a firm Christian believer, there were three things he wanted to do better in the new year.
“I want to be able to pray more, read the Bible, and establish a good relationship with God. Making healthier choices is also important,” he said.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many people’s plans, young people are getting ready to move on to a new chapter.
Jennifer Zhang, a senior at California State University–Fullerton, said she will be graduating in June, and her New Year’s resolutions center around her post-graduation plans.
“Hopefully I can get a job in the entertainment or media industry and go on a trip after I graduate. Also, be more courageous when it comes to interacting with people,” Zhang said.
Will Ohaver, who just moved from Salt Lake City to Newport Beach in February, said his New Year’s resolution is to marry his girlfriend, and they already have a 2022 to-do list.
“We plan to get married in June, and I think that will be my New Year’s resolution. We have a really long list at home with the things we want to do next year,” Ohaver said.
Some young people have decided to abandon the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions and simply jump right into action.
“If you have goals, start expeditiously! Why wait until the new year?” said Mariam Sourialle, a 24-year-old visitor from Chicago.
Eric, a medical school student visiting from Philadelphia, declined to provide his last name and agreed with Sourialle.
“New Year’s resolutions aren’t perfect, and they don’t have to start on New Year’s or end in the next year,” he said. "I would say my New Year’s resolution is just to get better and get a little better at everything that I do.”
