The older we get, the harder it is to make friends compared to when we were back in school.
This is especially true if you’re a shy introvert.
That’s why today, we’re going to talk about how to build a social circle.
I’m about to share with you the exact same process that I’ve used to put myself out there and meet like-minded individuals.
What You'll Learn In This Post
1. Find A Social Hobby
If you don’t have a lot of experience interacting with others, you need to be more strategic with your approach to meeting people.
Remember, mutual interest is the foundation of every great relationship.
Isn’t it so much easier to get along with someone who enjoys the same things as you?
Check out this video if you want to know how to have a social life when you work from home.
If you’re wondering how to build a social circle, you don’t need to go to bars and clubs if you don’t want to.
There are plenty of other options.
You just need to do a bit of research.
My recommendation is for you to add a social component to things that you already like to do.
For example, instead of reading a book at home, go to a trendy coffee shop.
See if there’s a meetup group for a specific interest that you have.
You can also sign up for a course to develop a new skill.
Do you see how that works?
As you can see, learning how to make friends as an introvert doesn’t have to be difficult.
This whole process can be enjoyable if you become intentional about it.
2. Keep An Open Mind
If you identify as an introvert, then you prefer to spend time by yourself.
Going out too much to interact with people can feel draining for you.
Don’t get me wrong, I think there’s a time and place to stay in and be alone.
But if you want to know how to build a social circle, you have to avoid isolating yourself for too long.
From Shy To Social
Discover proven steps to approach and talk to anybody no matter how shy you are.
Remember, nothing happens when you don’t leave your house.
As intimidating as it could be, keep an open mind and accept all valid invitations from others.
You don’t even need to be out for too long if you don’t want to.
Even if you can only stay for an hour at an event, that’s still better than nothing.
At the end of the day, building a social circle is still going to be a number’s game.
The more you go out, the more opportunities you’re going to have to connect with others.
By doing so, you’ll figure out how to meet like-minded friends a lot faster and create meaningful relationships.
3. Raise Your Self-Esteem
Let me ask you a question.
How can you expect others to like you if you don’t even like yourself?
If you want to learn how to build a social circle, you need to raise your self-esteem.
You’ll have a hard time putting yourself out there if you don’t feel good about who you are.
That’s why you have to be able to validate yourself instead of seeking approval from others.
Check out this podcast interview with Susan Campbell, Author of From Triggered To Tranquil, where she talks about how to identify and manage your emotional triggers.
To help you get started, make an effort to think of what’s good about you and all your previous accomplishments.
In fact, this is one of the best confidence-building exercises that I know.
If you do this long enough, you’ll start to realize that you’re actually a pretty awesome person.
You’ll see yourself as someone worth getting to know and you won’t be as intimidated interacting with others.
As a result, you’ll feel less anxious and act more like yourself in any situation.
4. Know What To Talk About
If you’re wondering how to build a social circle, you need to know how to express yourself verbally.
If you tend to have awkward silences during your interactions, then you’ll have a hard time connecting with others.
If you’re wondering how to be more talkative as an introvert, you need to prepare in advance.
Take the time to come up with things to share.
If you think about it, most people usually discuss the same topics over and over again anyway.
That being said, write out some stories regarding your work, your upbringing, places you’ve been, events you’ve attended, and your interests.
And then, practice telling them as much as you can.
I would also encourage you to stay up-to-date with trending topics and current events.
That way, you’ll have lots of ways to engage others and build rapport with them.
If you’re willing to, I recommend you record yourself telling these stories.
That way, you can observe your body language and hear how you sound.
When you do these things, you’ll feel a lot more confident interacting with anybody.
5. Get Good At Talking To Strangers
In order to figure out how to be social as an introvert, you have to be courageous.
Instead of waiting for people to talk to you, take initiative and make the first move.
If not, then you’ll always catch yourself sitting on the sidelines.
Your ability to start a conversation with someone you don’t know will create more opportunities for you.
Check out this video if you want to know how to become more social and talkative.
To help you get started, lower the bar and build positive momentum.
For example, you can chat with the barista the next time you get your coffee.
Try to make small talk with the person you share the elevator with.
Feel free to chit-chat with the cashier at the grocery store.
These small actions may not seem like a lot.
But if you do them consistently, you’ll become more socially adept eventually.
You’ll gather enough reference experiences and you’ll prove to yourself that you’re able to interact with people.
Again, the better you are at talking to strangers, the faster you’ll figure out how to build a social circle.
6. Be Genuinely Interested In Others
The truth is we’re all inherently selfish.
That’s why we like people who like us.
If you want to figure out how to build a social circle, you need to get out of your head and be interested in others instead.
The next time you interact with someone, give them your full and undivided attention.
Be curious about them, actively listen, and ask more open-ended questions.
By doing so, you’ll make anybody you talk to feel more seen, heard and understood.
They’ll have a positive impression of you and they’ll look forward to seeing you again.
If you want to know how to be more memorable to others, this is one of the best ways to do it.
7. Appear More Friendly
Remember, nobody can read your mind.
Think about it.
Would you want to talk to someone who’s slouching, have their arms crossed, and has a frown on their face?
Probably not, right?
If you want to know how to have a social life, you have to look more approachable.
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.
That’s why you have to pay attention to how you’re coming across.
Or else you might be pushing people away unintentionally.
In order to appear more friendly, remember to have a more open body language.
Stand up straight, keep your chin up and avoid crossing your arms and legs.
Maintain proper eye contact and have a genuine smile on your face.
By doing so, you’ll come across more inviting to others.
By learning how to be approachable, people are going to be inclined to interact with you.
8. Improve Your Social Skills
From what I’ve noticed, most people who struggle socially lack awareness and experience interacting with others.
They literally just don’t know any better.
If you think about it, it’s not like they teach you this stuff in school or at home, right?
It’s no surprise that we get a lot of engineers, programmers, and developers to join our social skills coaching program.
They’ve spent way too much time acquiring technical skills that they’ve neglected to develop their ability to communicate.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for education to help you advance professionally.
But if you’re willing to invest time and money in your career, why wouldn’t you do the same to help you connect with others?
Tired Of Feeling Lonely?
If you’re struggling socially and would like some help, let’s connect.
If you want to know how to build a social circle, you need to educate yourself on how to be more outgoing.
You can read books about it, listen to podcasts, or watch videos around this topic.
And then, do what you can to implement the things that you’re learning on a regular basis.
But if you want to get results much faster, consider working with a social skills coach.
That way, there will be no more guesswork because you’ll have a proven plan to follow.
You’ll get expert feedback and you’ll have someone keep you accountable as well.
You’ll make progress much faster and get this part of your life handled.
Remember, you talk to people every single day.
If you don’t overcome your shyness and social anxiety, you’re severely handicapping yourself from living your life to the fullest.
That’s why learning how to improve your conversation skills is one of the best things you can ever do.
9. Nurture Your Connections
A relationship is like a bank account.
You have to deposit more than you withdraw.
Don’t be that person who only reaches out to others when you need something.
I know people like that I do my best to avoid them.
If you’re wondering how to build a social circle, you need to nurture your connections.
Make an effort to consistently add value to their lives.
For example, you can introduce individuals in your network who can help each other out.
You can give someone advice on something that you know a lot about.
At the very least, you can be there for others if they need emotional support.
I know this sounds like a lot of work but there’s really no way around it.
If you want to have lifelong relationships, you have to get good at nurturing your connections.
10. Stop Making Things About You
The fear of rejection holds most people back from putting themselves out there.
If you want to learn how to build a social circle, you can’t keep playing it safe.
You have to take more risks and step outside your comfort zone.
The way I see it, rejection is usually not about you.
First of all, you just have no idea what’s going on in people’s lives.
I know for me, I’m not in a very social mood if I’m feeling off that day.
The next time someone turns you down, remind yourself that they’re rejecting your approach.
They barely know who you are so have to learn how to not take things personally.
The truth is, you won’t be able to please everybody so don’t even try.
It doesn’t matter who you are and what you do.
Some people will like you, some won’t and that’s totally okay.
In order to succeed socially, put all your focus only on what you can control.
The better you are at handling rejection, the more you’ll put yourself out there.
Eventually, you’ll build an amazing social circle filled with quality connections.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to build a social circle, I just shared with you my best tips.
Feel free to go through them again and implement them as much as you can.
And now, let’s turn it to you.
Which one of these tips are you going to implement first?
Are you going to find a social hobby or work on raising your self-esteem?
Send me a message on Instagram and let me know.