The Gift Exchange

Guest Blogger: Jordan

It seems to happen earlier and earlier every year. Last year I think it started in July. I’m talking about the season of Christmas shopping. Now if you’re a procrastinator like me, you could care less. You like to use the sales going on to buy awesome stuff for yourself rather than get your shopping done early. I think my mom has her Christmas shopping done at least two years in advance. Me? I’m lucky if I get it done two days in advance. So, if I’m that bad of a procrastinator, why am I writing this blog? Do I plan on changing my evil ways? Not in the slightest. The whole point of this is to share some ways procrastinators can do what they do best while still getting to check off their list of gifts to buy.

First tip: Learn to love overnight shipping and apologies. Overnight shipping is expensive. Everyone knows this. But so is your time. Paying the $30, $40, or $50 in shipping is nothing when comparing it to the hours of video games you got to play or nights at the bar with you friends instead of Christmas shopping and waiting in line at the post office to mail gifts and cards out. Your time is valuable, and you can’t be bothered with being the early bird, especially if you’re the night owl. So, overnight shipping = your best friend.

Now I also mentioned apologies. If you’re a well seasoned veteran of putting things off then you’re likely a master of the apology. For those that are not, or would like a refresher, the apology is most important. As you continue to cut it closer and closer each year, it’s likely at some point you’re not going to make it. This is where you need to know how to apologize correctly. I know from personal experience. One year my brother and I forgot to get our mother a Christmas present. I say forget, but in reality, we just cut it too close. There’s nothing worse that looking at your mother’s face when she looks at you and realizes you didn’t get her anything. It’s pretty bad.

So what do you do? For us, the first thing was sacrifice. If there’s a gift you received, such as cash, that you can give as a replacement, stick it in a card and hand it over. It’s not perfect, and it won’t make everything better immediately, but it’s a start. Second, vigorous apologies. Apologize often, and in multiple ways. Words, cards, flowers, chores, whatever you can do to show how sorry you are. Third, wait. As the saying goes, time heals all wounds. Well, it heals most wounds, and those wounds leave scars. Eventually our mom “forgot” about it, and all was right in the world again.

That will likely be the most serious I’ll get with this blog, but when it comes to apologies, you have to be serious. Anyway, if you have any tips for those procrastinators out there, I’d love to hear them! Stay tuned for the next installment of Procrastinator’s Corner.

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