Picture it
It’s Christmas morning, and they open their gift, your eyes gleaming with hope, clearly more excited than they are about the masterpiece you traveled to the ends of the earth to find. They pull the gift out of the box and offer a half-hearted “Thanks” as they proceed to open the next colorfully wrapped mystery. Your excitement quickly dissipates as you quietly console your disappointment. But wait! There is a better way than blindly shopping for gifts for the ones you love. The method we will discuss adds more fun, more excitement, and best of all, much more clarity to the gift shopping experience.
This method is a simple as just asking them what they want, but instead of just asking, make an experience of the ordeal by giving them a request letter with potential gift ideas and a blank Wish List a month or so before gift opening day. This gives the recipient time to think it over, create a list of items and experiences for you to choose from, return the wish list, and get excited knowing that they are guaranteed to receive something they truly value. Now, you have effectively created a new Christmas tradition that everyone will look forward to each year.
How to get started? Whip out a notebook and write your letter on paper, or pull up a Word document and print out copies. I wouldn’t suggest sending a text since smartphones are so full of distractions, you will find yourself constantly reminding, borderline begging for family and friends to send the form back, and that saps the joy and fun right out of the idea.
Next, send weekly reminders of the deadline to keep the wish list fresh on their minds, and don’t allow any late additions to the lists. Remember, your time is precious, and last-minute changes only add more tasks to your already endless list of Christmas tasks. So, keep it simple, manageable, and most importantly, enjoyable.
