How To Give Awesome Gifts

Gifts.

Every holiday season it is the same thing.

The wrapping paper Yin and Yang. The joy of receiving cool stuff (and the occasional ugly sweater from your crazy Aunt Helen) coupled with the soul-crushing despair of never knowing what to get for the important people in your life.

It can be really stressful, that’s for sure. Both on your wallet and on your peace of mind.

Fret not my Jerdlings.

Since the holidays are supposed to be about giving, I want to impart onto you all some solid gift-giving wisdom that should not only stop you from sucking at giving gifts, but also elevate your gifts into the realms of awesome!

Right here is the most important thing you need to know about picking a gift for someone important to you.

Are you ready for it?

Don’t give a thing. Give an experience.

While I am going to pontificate (as I am want to do) about what that means, and how to tailor it to the people in your life, that is really it in a nutshell.

Giving an awesome gift is really that simple. I promise.

Stop Buying Useless Stuff!

“…advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need.” – Tyler Durden, Fight Club

If you are anything like me you probably can’t remember 95% of the birthday or Christmas gifts you have received in the last 5 years, but I bet you can recall a lot of times spent with friends and loved ones doing things together.

Look, I’m not saying that stuff isn’t cool, or that I am not happy when someone takes their time and money to buy and wrap a gift for me. Not at all!

What I am saying is that in the grand scheme of things, at the end of the day, those gifts are transitory at best.

Before we go on, watch this video. It’s both short and ridiculously awesome!

So at the end, a simple question is asked.

“Did you enjoy your story?”

I want you to think about that and let it sink in for a second.

All life is, is a series of moments.

Moments that, if you are living life to the fullest, turn into memories and awesome stories.

When all is said and done, we aren’t going to look back and remember getting a copy of Halo, the latest book in the “Song of Fire and Ice” series or the Collectors Edition of “The Hobbit” (although, admittedly, you might remember spending 127 hours watching all the awesome DVD extras.)

What we will remember are the times spent with friends and loved ones experiencing the world around us!

So don’t you want to give the people you love those sorts of memories?

Of course you do.

Now I am not suggesting you give anyone a 5 week trek through Chile and Patagonia like the couple that filmed that amazing video (although if you can afford it, I would totally be your BFF if you hooked me up. Just sayin’,) but I am saying that with a little thoughtfulness you can give gifts whose memories make a real impact.

The Gift of Experience

One of the best gifts I have ever given was, ironically, never even used.

Two years ago my wife and I were with our best friends at a giant outdoor haunted extravaganza for Halloween, it was obscenely crowded and we had to wait an hour for our admission into the haunted forest. The venue had a bunch of activities set-up to help people pass the time, one of them being a zip-line. So my wife and my best friend get super excited to give it a shot, so they stand in line and they wait.

And they wait some more.

With only 5 people left in line in front of them our number was called for entry into the haunted woods and they had to bail. A source of much irritation on their part.

So what did I do the following month? I bought them gift certificates to a local zip-line park for the day.

How do I know this was an awesome gift? Because before they could schedule their appointment our friend found out she was pregnant and she was unable to go but she still references that gift all the time to friends and family!

Imagine if should would have been able to spend a day getting her Tarzan on? It would have been a Christmas present of epic proportions (and one that cost nothing more than what I would have spent on some trinket I might add)!

So what are some other potentially awesome gift ideas? Does the person you are gifting for:

• Love action movies or play a lot of first-person-shooter video games (Halo, Call of Duty, etc…)? Take them to a paintball field for the day and shoot each other in the face repeatedly!
• Enjoy the outdoors? Try the aforementioned zip-line experience!
• Consider themselves a film or cinema buff? Search out a lecture on film-making and take a roadtrip to attend!
• Call themselves a “foodie“? Make a chef’s table reservation at one of their favorite restaurants!
• Have young children? Book them a hotel and offer to babysit for the night (they will be eternally grateful!)
• Love Role-Playing Games or fantasy novels? Maybe attend a stage-combat workshop together?
• Geek-out over a band/movie franchise/author, etc…? Get concert tickets/offer to stand in line for a midnight release/attend a book-signing together!

Regardless of the specifics, remember that this is about creating memorable experiences and stories. Whether you are scheduling an activity for you and a loved one to experience together, or for them to have with someone else, I guarantee they will be blown away by the gesture!

So What Does This Have To Do With Fitness?

Of course I could cop out and make the obvious point that mental and emotional fitness is just as important, but let me see if I can bring this home.

We all have friends, or family members, that are teetering on the edge.

Maybe they know they need to eat better or exercise but just don’t know how? Maybe they used to have a good handle on their health but life has thrown them a lot of curve-balls and they don’t feel they have the time anymore? Maybe they lack motivation?

And like a good, aspiring Jerd you want to help!

So how can we do it without violating Law #7 of the Jerd Herd? We find a non-threatening activity and do it with them!

Something that gets them them out of the house and offers them a glimpse of something positive they might enjoy… all with the added benefit of doing it alongside you!

That’s right, if you are going to try and help a loved one get fit or healthy you are going to have to lead by example (and maybe you can use this opportunity to stay motivated yourself?)

• If they don’t know how to eat anything but fast-food or carry-out? Register the both of you for a local cooking class!
• If they lead a stressful life? Take a month of yoga classes together!
• If they feel overly busy? Schedule work-out “dates” and put them on the calendar as appointments. It can be anything from bike riding to playing basketball. They will be happy to have scheduled time with you!

By turning a mundane or intimidating experience into a bonding experience, not only are you creating memories for both of you, you’re also helping to hide some valuable fitness and health lessons underneath a layer of fun (a lot of people unfortunately don’t realize that being healthy and fit does not mean being miserable yet)!

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

• What was the most memorable gift you have ever received?
• What’s the best gift you have ever given someone?
• Would you rather get stuff or experiences?

Let’s hear it!

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