How Working At Summer Camp Supports New Years Resolutions
Want to keep your resolutions this year?
Did you know that based on a poll from Forbes Health, only 25% of Americans stick to their resolutions after 30 days, and most give up their resolutions after less than 4 months?
Your 2025 resolutions may be fresh in your mind now, but this summer working at camp might be able to help you keep them!
Over 1000 Americans were surveyed by Statista about their 2025 New Year’s resolutions. The top three resolutions by response fit into the following categories:
- Save more money (21%)
- Eat healthier (19%)
- Exercise more (17%)
How can working at Falling Creek support those goals?
- 1.) You’ll save money by living and eating at camp
When you work at Falling Creek, you live, eat, and work at camp. Room and board is included, so there’s no need to put your paycheck towards rent, food, or gas to commute!
As a camp counselor, you’ll eat family-style for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the camp Dining Hall, plus staff-only snacks are offered often in the evenings. Other staff perks are a weekly laundry service, a dedicated counselor “Lair” with wireless internet access, movie nights, and other “counselor resources” events.
You can see the 2025 Estimated Pay Sheet here for a breakdown on how much you’ll make each week.
- 2.) You can eat healthy at camp
For the second most popular resolution, it can be hard to change your eating habits if your surroundings stay the same. When you live at camp though, you’ll have access to healthy meal options and a salad bar twice a day. Plus, there’s no fast food restaurants at camp, eliminating that temptation to get a sweet treat on the commute to work or school.
- 3.) You’ll exercise outdoors daily
You’ll never be short on exercise at camp! While most people rely on a car for their daily routines, at camp we walk or hike everywhere, and most evenings we play an active large-group game that involves everyone.
Falling Creek is located on over 900 private mountaintop acres in Western North Carolina. In addition to walking to and from your cabin, activity area, and Dining Hall each day, you’ll also have access to our miles of trails if you want to go on trail runs or ride mountain bikes during your time off.
If you choose to venture off property during your time off, this area of Western North Carolina has plenty to offer! There are several outdoor recreation areas near Falling Creek for more opportunities to exercise and enjoy the beauty of NC’s nature. This includes Dupont State Forest, Pisgah National Forest, the Appalachian Trail, the Green River, Lake Summit, Cedar Rock, Linville Gorge, hundreds of waterfalls in nearby Brevard, and more.
What if I have a different New Year’s Resolution?
Even if your goals are different than those in the top three categories, working at summer camp can still help you reach your resolutions. How?
- 1.) Routines
Setting a small, actionable routine is a key way to ensure your resolution becomes a lasting part of your life. At camp, we have a set schedule each day which makes it easy to stay organized and set time-specific goals. For example, there are two free choice periods each day, before lunch and dinner. You can aim to work towards your resolution bit by bit each day during one of these times!
- 2.) Screen-Free
Falling Creek is a screen-free camp, which means you won’t see any phones or computers out during the day. While you do have access to your technology in the evenings and during time off, the reduced screen time means you have less distractions and less mindless scrolling. Less opportunity for distraction means more time to devote to your resolutions or goals!
- 3.) Reflection
When you arrive at camp, every staff member gets a Counselor Journal. This annual journal has dated pages to function as a planner or calendar for the summer, as well as a daily question to reflect on.
Giving yourself time to reflect daily or even weekly can help you stay on track with your goals. Experts recommend keeping goals specific and measurable, so writing them down in your Counselor Journal and keeping track of your progress will help you stick to your resolutions, no matter what they may be.
- 4.) Community
Finally, the community at camp can support you as you work towards your goals! Your fellow camp counselors, directors, and campers can provide perspective, motivation, and encouragement. Working towards a goal is more fun with you have friends to participate with, or people who will hold you accountable!
Falling Creek’s mission is to shepherd the journey of personal growth through love and adventure. We’re looking forward to seeing all that our 2025 staff team will accomplish this summer, and supporting everyone on their personal journeys.