Do you know this one friend who always brings the best gift? It’s not like everyone else didn’t make an effort to bring a great gift, but that one is always better by far. Well, I’m this friend. Luckily, I have every intention of sharing my secrets of choosing the perfect gift, simply because I wish everyone to have a good experience while choosing a gift, and even a better one getting the receiver’s feedback. Well, I actually wish my friends will also read this one, because I really don’t need any more notebooks with inspirational quotes or gift cards. 

I believe there are 3 levels of gifts

The first is a gift saying “I got you what I would choose for myself”. This kind of gift usually reflects a similarity between the giver and the receiver, and that what I wish for you mirrors my own wishes, therefore it’s probably something related to the giver’s fields of interest. For example, it’s the cooking friend who buys another friend, who rarely cooks, a great set of pots and cooking utensils from one of the top cooking brands. 

The next version of gift is the type of “I got you something that I thought you might like”. This section includes buying a yoga mat for a yoga teacher, a new surfboard to a surfing guide, tickets to the Taylor Swift tour for the ultimate fan. The only disadvantage of this type of gift is the relevancy. The yoga teacher probably already has a mat, and the date of the tickets might also be the date of another important event. 

So, the last upgrade of this algorithm, the one that makes the real difference, is choosing a gift that says “I got you something that I know you need, because I pay attention to the things you share with me”. It can be a unique type of coffee beans for a real coffee lover who mentioned a wish to experience new coffee adventures, a gluten-free recipe book for someone who was just diagnosed with celiac, or 3 hours of babysitting for the young new parents who need some time for themselves. Of course, if one of your loved ones doesn't sleep so well, you already know the best gift for them.