As the calendar page flips to a new year, we have a unique opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth. New Year’s resolutions, though often dismissed as trivial or fleeting, can become catalysts for positive change. When well planned, resolutions allow us to turn a new page in our lives, finding renewal and fulfillment through the pursuit of meaningful goals.
Inspiration for Your Resolutions This Year
If we take a look at some of the top New Year’s resolutions, we’ll see many that feel familiar:
- Spend More Time with Loved Ones
- Spend More Time Outside
- Exercise More, Eat Healthy
- Learn Something New, Pick up a New Hobby
- Reduce Stress
- Get Organized
These ideas should serve as motivators and opportunities for change this new year. If you need a little inspiration on how to get started, look no further than Davie County! Our community is full of opportunities that will help keep you motivated and on track with your New Year’s resolutions.
Spend Time With Loved Ones
Let’s build community and invest more in our relationships, spending our time where it matters most. Spend more time with your nieces, nephews, or grandchildren by taking them to the COGNITION Davie Children’s Museum, the playground at Rich Park, or to Grip it Virtual Golf, a virtual golf lounge in Bermuda Run.
Find a time to meet up with your close friends consistently. Carving out a set time to meet with friends and relatives increases our sense of community, belonging, and happiness. Create a trivia team for O’Callahans or challenge each other to karaoke at Restaurant 101.
If singing in front of strangers and trivia isn’t your thing, have an outing with your girlfriends at the Johnson House Tea Room, an 1800s farmhouse transformed into an elegant bakery and teahouse. Join them for freshly baked goods, lunch, or even high tea.
Our local vineyards are also sure to serve as a great outing. Invite your friends to embark on the (unofficial) Davie County Wine Trail to sample the collections at Dove Vine, Rayson, and Lazy Elm. Here, honey mead, muscadine wine, and fortified limoncello wine are sure to make for fun girls’ outings or couple’s date nights.
Another crowd-pleaser for both friends and family is live music, which is a great way for everyone to come together. Be sure to take advantage of the Season of Applause series offered by the Brock Performing Arts Center, as well as Concerts in the Park, free outdoor summer concerts at the Davie Community Park amphitheater. Be on the lookout for bands and special musical acts hosted at The Station General Store & Taproom and Tanglewood Pizza Co.
Spend Time Outside
If you’re looking to get outside more, explore Davie’s local trails and parks. Spending time in nature is good for your mental health; in addition to boosting your vitamin D levels, exposure to sunlight raises your serotonin levels, increasing your focus and making you happy.
Take the kids on the camping trip they’ve always begged for by going to the Lake Myers RV Resort, Sugar Valley Adventures, or other local campgrounds, which you can find here. During the summer, pack the cooler, sunscreen, and floaties to go for a refreshing dip at “the Bullhole,” aka the RiverPark at Cooleemee Falls.
Exercise More, Eat Healthy
Let’s be honest, we could all use a little more exercise. Even if it’s not part of your chosen resolution this new year season, there are so many good reasons to stay active. Exercise reduces stress, helps us sleep better, and even fights heart disease and dementia.
To start exercising more, consider workout programs available with memberships at Redline Fitness, Workout Anytime, and the Davie Family YMCA in Mocksville, or Gym 365 and Rise Indoor Sports in Advance.
If a new gym membership isn’t within your budget, there are so many budget-friendly exercise options in Davie County. Hit the trails at Farmington Nature Park and The Park at Lake Louise, or run around as your pup lets out their energy at the Community Dog Park.
To eat healthier, be sure to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Our farmers’ markets are a great way to buy fresh produce and support local farmers. Our farmers and vendors host markets in Mocksville, Advance, and Bermuda Run each spring through fall.
Learn Something New
Foster a love for your creative side by mastering a new hobby. If you’ve always fancied learning the guitar or ukulele, the instruments and music lessons at Counter Point Music are sure to invigorate your love of music.
For afternoons of craft making, join our Senior Services for beginner’s knitting classes or rotating crafting sessions. If you like getting your hands dirty, set up a pottery class at Stepping Stones Pottery. They even offer couple’s date nights for you and your significant other.
Reduce Stress
Reducing our stress levels is an often overlooked, but important part of our mental health journeys. Consider meeting up with your support system over a glass of wine after a long week of work at Davie’s wineries and vineyards or for a meal at one of our delicious restaurants.
Spa and massage therapy is another important way to manage stress. Massage therapy encourages the release of endorphins and reduces our stress hormones, which relieves conditions like muscle tightness and tension headaches. In turn, they increase relaxation and can even improve the working of our immune system.
To get started with your skincare and spa treatment therapy, consider getting a facial at Danielle Graham Esthetics. For a wider array of full-body treatments, check out Bella Mia Skin Care Center or Divine Touch Skincare & Massage Therapy.
Get Organized
If you’re hoping to get organized this year, this can mean more than just organizing your garage tools and workbench.
Consider getting organized in your professional life, and setting goals for yourself in your job or your next academic pursuit. As you start plotting your career and educational journey, consider carving out time to be productive at your local cafe or coffee shop, which can keep you focused and help ignore distractions at home.
Whether you’re taking online coursework, meeting with a career mentor, or studying for the GMAT, consider doing so at Maddie Cakes or The Coffee House (inside Girl’s Day Out Boutique) in Advance, or at The Factory Coffee House or Ketchie Creek Bakery in Mocksville. Maddie Cakes and The Factory even have study rooms you can rent out to host your next meeting, job interview, or group study session.
Travel More
One of the other big plans people love to make with their New Year’s resolutions is to travel more! There’s no need to stomach expensive flights in order to experience someplace new. There are so many things to see and do when you visit Davie County, North Carolina. We’d love for you to add us to your travel plans as you explore all that we have to offer!
Ushering in the New Year
The act of making resolutions is more than a tradition; it is a symbolic gesture of discarding the old and embracing what’s new, along with all of the potential that holds. Resolutions are a moment to pause and evaluate, considering what we want to retain, what needs improvement, and what aspirations we hope to chase.
As we enter a new year, embrace the power of meaningful change. Our goals should serve as a reminder that change is not only possible but achievable. Strive to incorporate at least one or two of these ideas each month. As you count down the clock to the new year, find renewal, purpose, and lasting fulfillment in pursuing a better version of yourself. We hope you’ll join us here in Davie County as you do so.
