There are individuals in my life who’re probably the most great present givers—all the time considerate, all the time distinctive, all the time spot-on. I’ve discovered some classes from these family and friends members on find out how to be a extremely great gift giver, and I’m sharing them with you in the present day. These gift-giving concepts apply to any event—from holidays to birthdays and each little celebration in between. Right here’s to sharing significant presents with the individuals we love.
5 Methods to Be a Actually Good Present Giver
1. Pay attention all yr spherical—or begin now!
Folks let you know what they love, and considerate gift-giving begins with listening in these moments. With everybody in my life, I’ve been listening to what they are saying and tuning into what excites them. I maintain an ear out for present concepts all yr spherical so I’m not dashing when the vacations (or birthdays) arrive.
Have they began a brand new passion? Ask the way it’s going and glean inspiration from there. Are they making a giant transition into retirement or shifting throughout the nation? Pay attention for tactics to assist out, rejoice, or honor the milestone. The perfect presents are those that present somebody you discover the little issues they’re loving or pursuing.
2. Gather present concepts in a single place.
Don’t rely on your self to recollect the concepts you choose up via your whole listening. Work out a method to acquire the data and manage it. I primarily use the iPhone Notes app. Joe and I’ve a shared notice with a listing of the birthdays of individuals in our lives. Beneath every identify, I’ll write down thought starters for presents and issues I do know they get pleasure from. I additionally avoid wasting concepts verbally within the Voice Memos app, which is a straightforward method to get concepts out of my head within the second so I can revisit them later.
3. Ask for a listing.
In case you’re caught, don’t be afraid to ask the individual for a brief record of precisely what they need. Some individuals draw back from being this direct or suppose it takes the magic out of gifting. I believe it’s a superbly affordable approach to make sure you’re giving a present that might be used and loved. Once I ask for a listing, I discover the gifting expertise simply as pleasing as once I consider present concepts alone. This leads me to my subsequent level…
4. The present doesn’t have to be a shock.
Don’t fear about arising with the “good” present thought. You don’t should shock them with one thing surprising both! Selecting a present from their want record is an excellent method to delight them and get them one thing they actually need. I bought Joe a selected pair of footwear he requested for on his birthday, and his response was as if it was a complete shock. He was so excited!! It jogged my memory that true surprises are overrated typically.
5. Don’t overcompensate.
Be careful for the temptation to overcompensate, particularly whenever you’re undecided what your giftee desires. On the subject of gift-giving, we regularly find yourself spending an excessive amount of, which makes everybody uncomfortable. I consider the episode of The Workplace the place Michael gave a video iPod within the group alternate when the spending restrict was $20.
Typically, sentimental presents imply as a lot (if no more) than expensive gadgets. For Joe’s birthday this yr, I recorded a video about why I like him and the youngsters did too. It was a novel method to seize this second in time and it didn’t price a factor. If overcompensating is a sample of yours, hopefully the concepts on this submit will show you how to keep away from it!
For extra gift-giving inspiration, I’ll be sharing my vacation present information on Wit & Delight this month! Till then, browse final yr’s present information to get the present concepts flowing.
Kate is the founding father of Wit & Delight. She is at present studying find out how to play tennis and is without end testing the boundaries of her inventive muscle. Observe her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.