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Are you trying to land a job? Do you want to go on more dates? Keeping your goal in mind will help you stay motivated to socialize regularly. Having a goal will also help you know where to direct your efforts. For instance, if you're networking for your career, you might decide to attend more conferences. Before you even go out, think up a few topics that you'd be comfortable discussing with other people. Having some conversation topics at hand will boost your confidence, especially if you're shy. Talking about the weather is always a safe option, since everybody deals with the weather on a daily basis. Other good topics of conversation include work, family, and food. Keep your conversation topics light, relatable, and neutral. Avoid talking about personal or touchy topics such as religion and health. Stick with things like "How do you know the host?" or "I haven't seen your family in a while. How are they?" Your social skills get stronger the more you use them. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true: if you stay inside all day, your social skills deteriorate. To stay on top of your social game, challenge yourself to interact with people regularly in your day-to-day life. You can practice small talk with classmates, co-workers, or the person behind you in the checkout line. Set a goal to make conversation with one stranger each day. This can be with the cashier at the grocery store or the mailman. Consider getting a job that helps you develop your social skills. Waiting tables, bartending, and working retail are a few options that give you plenty of opportunities to talk with people. A low-pressure way to break the ice with someone before you meet them in real life is to reach out to them on social media. Try following them on Twitter or adding them on LinkedIn. This way, you won't be total strangers when you meet face-to-face. This strategy works especially well for meeting new people at work. If you hold extroversion up as the standard of "correct" behavior, you might end up feeling inferior for no good reason. Introversion is neither better nor worse than extroversion just different. Instead of putting yourself down for being an introvert, focus on your own unique strengths and look for ways to work on your weaknesses.
Define your reasons for socializing. Think of some conversation starters. Practice putting yourself out there. Connect on social media. Avoid comparing yourself to extroverts.