City Lights:

I asked a friend the other day if she had made a New Year’s resolution. She replied somewhat sheepishly that she had — and it was to complete her resolution from 2009.

At the start of last year, she had vowed to read the Bible on a daily basis, but that practice tapered off somewhere around March.

In the rush of excitement that comes with the New Year, it’s easy to work up the inspiration to better yourself. And after that rush dwindles, it’s all too easy to slide back into the old habits.

I’ve made countless promises to myself over the years that I failed to keep, from learning a martial art to becoming fluent in French to reading the Los Angeles Times’ entire front page every morning.

But every so often, a resolution sticks — and when it does, it’s always exciting to remember the moment when you first made it.

So I decided to start 2010 by calling some high-profile people around Huntington Beach and finding out what they had pledged for the New Year.

Now that I’ve got them on the record, they better commit.

My first call went to Laurie Payne, spokeswoman for Huntington Beach and the person I usually contact to track down bits of information about the city.

Given all the hours I spend nagging her every week, I wasn’t sure she had time for a resolution, but she had managed to fit one in.

“I’m kind of committing myself to riding my bike more,” she said. “I’ve been riding to work at least twice a week, and it makes sense. This is such a beautiful area.”

Payne added that she had recently bought a new bike and was enjoying the commute to and from the office. That’s one of the true tests for a resolution — whether it’s actually fun to do.

Unless Christianity lifts your soul, it’s probably hard to plow through the Bible from cover to cover. And the new dietary plan you started Jan. 1 may depend on how much you enjoy chugging that daily glass of soy milk.

Still, for someone with an athletic mind set, that might not be so hard. Aaron Pai, owner of Huntington Surf and Sport, told me he planned to work out more — including running, yoga and weights — and eat healthier than he did in 2009.

Of course, some resolutions are more political than personal.

Councilman Keith Bohr said he wanted to be “the voice of reason” and encourage more harmonious debates over civic issues.

Steve Bone, president and chief executive of the Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau, said his goal was to encourage more group travel to Surf City — weddings, corporate retreats and anything else that might require renting a ballroom and a suite at the Hilton.

“Travel matters,” he said. “It matters because it has been proven that businesses get a great return on their dollars invested as a result of the travel. And, of course, local jurisdictions benefit from the taxes and spending those visitors leave behind.”

Well, I believe in selfless New Year’s resolutions, so I’ll just pledge to travel more in 2010. If it doesn’t pan out, I still have that French textbook waiting for me on the nightstand.

City Editor MICHAEL MILLER can be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com .