Advice from JWLS: How to Choose a Gift Your Loved One Will Love

Now that the holiday season is upon us, it’s time to start thinking about gifts for your loved ones. But let’s face it: some of us aren’t the best at gift-giving. It’s the thought that counts, of course, but one of the best ways to show someone your appreciation for them is through a well-thought-out gift.

So suppose you want to improve your gift-giving skills – and learn the art of finding gifts for people in your life that they really connect with on an emotional level.

How do you do that?

Here, straight from our gift-giving experts at JWLS, are some tips for you (of course, if you or a loved one would like a watch for the holidays, don’t forget to check out the JWLS collection here):

• One of the best ways to hone your gift-giving skills is by developing the ability to pick up on hints that people drop (consciously or subconsciously) – things they say that clue you in on what sort of gifts they might love. For example, if you’re at the mall with them – or perhaps browsing the web together – and they see a watch and make the comment that they love watches, then simply make a mental note of this. People will unintentionally drop these sort of hints throughout the year, too, so it may be a good idea to keep track of such comments on a notepad app on your smartphone. Then, when the gift-giving season rolls around, you’ll have a good idea of what they like – and it’ll make you look unbelievably thoughtful, too.

• Not everyone has this – but if they have a wishlist somewhere (like Amazon Wishlist), then don’t forget to have a look at that.

• It’s also a good idea to record the gift ideas that spontaneously occur to you. Sometimes, you might get struck by an epiphany of a possible gift to get them – and when that happens, it’s useful to collect these ideas somewhere. To that end, picture boards like Pinterest (and other boards) are ideal – simply find a picture of the gift that occurred to you, and add it to your board.

• You may also want to try a brainstorming exercise to come up with good gift ideas for your loved one. Start by making a list of things you know about them. Begin with something simple – for example, list their favourite colour, preferred kind of music, TV shows they enjoy, and so on. Then, continue listing even more things you know about them – the first items you jot down will help jog your memory so your brainstorming can move forward. Use this brainstorming list to find a gift that is personalized to their tastes; for example, knowing what their favourite colours are can allow you to choose a watch with those colours. Your gift, then, will appeal specifically to their tastes, sense of fashion, and so on.