7 Habits of Great Gift Givers
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle
Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones. Benjamin Franklin
Our amount of success at gift giving is directly proportionate to the quality of our gift giving habits. Successful gift givers are able to generate memorable and unique gift ideas simply because they have good gift giving habits. If you want to be able to come up with effective gift ideas and if you want your gifts to cut deep (in a good way) with your recipients then it’s worth investing some time and effort in cultivating and strengthening the following 7 habits of successful gift givers:
Habit # 1: Great gift givers focus on the recipient
This simply means that a great gift giver will have the habit to closely look at the recipient while thinking up of gift ideas for him/her. He will always manage to orient his gift ideas according to the giftee’s sex, age, profession, mind-set and hobbies. He will have this keen sense and ability to sniff out and determine what’s important to someone and therefore what he/she would love to receive.
Habit # 2: Great gift givers have the knack of looking at everyday items from a “gifting” perspective
A great gift giver would have a sharp eye to pick out potential gift-able items even when there is no need to do so. A great gift giver would be in the habit of spontaneously generating gift ideas by constantly asking himself the question, “how would X, Y or Z feel if I gifted him/her this?”
Habit # 3: Great gift givers are habitually creative and innovative
A great giver would be in the habit of using his creative abilities to customize and personalize his gifts according to the receiver. He would be able to come up with unique gift ideas and unique ways of presenting his gifts. Such a person would always be on the look out for anything that could spark unique gift ideas.
Habit # 4: Great gift givers always ask if they do not know
Such a person would always be ready to ask someone for his/her opinion on what type of gifts should be given. A great gift giver will also habitually be a good talker and listener. He will be quick to ask for people’s opinion and even quicker to latch onto good gift ideas.
Habit # 5: Great gift givers are habitually interested in gift giving customs and traditions
He would know that paper gifts are the traditional first anniversary gifts and that tin and aluminum are the traditional tenth anniversary gifts. He would be aware of the fact that Irish unity candles and Irish chocolate sets are traditional Irish wedding gifts. He would be in the habit of learning and deepening his understanding of various gift giving customs and traditions.
Habit # 6: Great gift givers have a habit of focusing on “meaning” rather than “money”
A great gift giver would rely on coming up with gift ideas that are meaningful to the recipient without giving too much credence to money. He would habitually stay within his means and he would understand that gifts are supposed to be an expression of deep gratitude and not a display of the giver’s affluence.
Habit # 7: Great gift givers love gift giving
Great gift givers are great gift givers simply because they love to see their recipient’s responses of appreciation and joy. They are in the habit of finding their own joy and happiness in their giftee’s joy and happiness. Great gift givers give from the heart and that is what’s really important
