My favorite gift over the holidays may surprise you a bit, to be honest. While I got some notable things I asked for like a pair of high-top sneakers from Brazil, some reverse suspenders that hold dress shirts in your pants, and even a new Bluetooth speaker to take with me on the go, the thing that I think was most useful and much needed? Well, it was an 18- by 24-inch whiteboard.
So, why would this be my favorite gift I received over the last month? Why something as “bland” or plain as a whiteboard, you ask? Because it’s something I’ll be using often. It’ll keep me organized, on track, and in a good routine. The whiteboard is big enough to include a grocery list, to-do list, and other space for little notes back and forth to my girlfriend. Pretty useful right there.
The thing is, its value increases when I attach it to how much this will help me from day to day. I already know I’ll be much more organized in general because of it. I’ll pick up the apartment more often and be cleaner in general. And all this stuff? Well, it’ll lead to a happier mindset and a much more productive lifestyle.
The thing is, I actually seemed to enjoy other gifts like this that I would get a lot of actual use out of. The clothes, shoes, music, and other things I received which I really enjoy having aren’t necessarily of much use, per se. But some of the packaging supplies I got, like a stapler, will see much more use in my office and at home.
See, it’s great to get new things that make us feel better instantly, such as video games, other technology, new clothes, an experience, and whatever else you can think up that you really loved opening. But it’s the useful items that really get a lot of mileage out of them.
Heck, even the things I got for my kitchen like a mini charcuterie board, a recipe box, and mini shot glasses just seemed more welcome than things that were superficial by nature. It’s the packaging supplies, kitchen accessories, and whiteboards of our gifts that we should learn to appreciate and even ask for in the coming years.
No matter the case, try to get a lot of use out of the gifts you receive from loved ones. If you ask for something you know you’ll forget about in a week, you’re setting yourself up for a life of materialism.
