Happy New Year from APlus Payroll

The calendar New Year gives us a chance to start the a new year fresh and begin again. Whether it be those resolutions to lose some weight that boost gym memberships in January or any other self improvement commitment, millions will take that pledge.

It should come as no surprise that resolutions are not a new thing, and have their origins in ancient religions. Here are some of the more historical traditions:

Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.
The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.
In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.
During Judaism’s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness.

So as we move into 2020 what are the most common resolutions ar goals that were trending in January according to Google?

Get Healthy: 62,776,640 searches, a 13.77 percent increase over last year during the same time period.
Get Organized: 33,230,420 searches, dipping by 7.41 percent compared to last year
Live Life to the Fullest: 18,970,210, spiking by 13.04 percent from last year.
Learn New Hobbies: 17,438,670 searches, up 4.72 percent from last year,
Spend Less/Save More: 15,905,290 searches, up 17.47 percent.
Travel: 5,964,130 searches, down by 0.82 percent from 2016
Read More: 4,746,560 searches, down 5.63 percent.

So if we were to believe these stats we are going to see a lot of healthier, less organized, savers, who will spend their time reading and traveling less, but living life to their fullest potential in the shape of a new hobby…Should make for an interesting year!

All of us at APlus hope that 2017 will indeed be your best yet, both personally and professionally and we look forward to helping you on the path to achieving those goals. Happy New Year!