Meet 7 People in 7 Days

©Ralph Jean-Paul

There are over 300 million people in America alone. How many of those people do you know? Every day there is an opportunity to meet someone new. I’ve heard some people complain that they can’t find a date or can’t find any new and interesting people to meet. For those of you who think that meeting new people for business or social reasons is an impossible mission, I’ve got a 7 day plan that should get you on your way to meeting as many of the 6.7 billion people on the planet as possible.

Day1- School/work

The first day of your social and networking blitz is the easiest. Meeting someone new in a place that you go often is not difficult. At first it may seem that since you go to school or work every day that there may not be any opportunities to meet new people. If you think that, you are not looking hard enough. I’ve met so many people that I’ve worked in the same building with but worked in different department. Just walking down the hallways of your workplace offers so many opportunities. The cafeteria, café, break room, and even the restrooms are places where you can start talking to someone new. If you are in school, try sitting next to someone new in class and start talking about assignments. Then gradually shift the conversation towards a topic that helps you get to know them better. If you are at work and do not work directly with customers, identify somebody that you’ve seen often but have never talked to. Then tell them that you’ve always wondered about the department that they work in or the position they hold. Once the conversation gets going, begin to tell them about what you do while maintaining your interest in their job. Sharing ideas at work and school is often a breeze because of the familiarity of your surroundings. But now let’s try it in a new atmosphere.

Day 2-meetup

No matter where you live there are different meetups happening in your town. Meetup.com is a website that lists all kinds of events and groups that meet frequently (usually once a month). No matter what you’re interested in there is probably a group in your area that is gathering in an attempt assemble people who have the same interest. I try to go to at least two different meetups a month. The good thing about meetups is if you choose a meetup that suites your interest, you’ve already have a conversation starter. Let’s say for example that you do not eat meat and you went to meetup for people who are vegetarians. Since you already know about the subject of finding different ways to prepare fruits and vegetables, you are already equipped to start and carry any conversation that you may have that day. But perhaps you already know too many vegetarians, now is the time to find a new interest. Try to locate a meetup that has a theme that you would like to learn more about. For example, dancing, aerobics, or even political groups welcome those who are willing to learn more about their group. Since you are not familiar with the theme, most of the people in the group will introduce themselves to you so that will eliminate having to begin conversations.

I once visited a social anxiety group. I heard about the condition and didn’t know too much about it so I thought I’d check on out. I emailed the organizer of the group to let him know I would like to attend but I did not have social anxiety. He welcomed me into the group but asked me to try not to dominate the conversations because of the nature of the events. I had no intention of talking too much. I just wanted to observe and ask questions in an attempt to learn more about how people deal with social anxiety disorder. The people there were very friendly and open to any questions I had. I could hardly tell that they had social anxiety disorder. But the stories of how they dealt with their condition made me look at my own life and reevaluate how I dealt with my problems.

Day 3-Bookstore

 Bookstores and cafés like Starbucks and Barnes &Noble have become America’s living rooms. They offer tea, coffee and reading material in an atmosphere that is inviting to conversation. Meeting someone at one of these places is fairly easy since there are tables and couches everywhere. Grab yourself a cup of that vanilla mocha frappuccino that you love so much and your favorite magazine, and have a seat. In most cases these places have many people in them so ask if you can sit down at a table with someone who is sitting alone. Once again the conversation will be naturally easy to start since they probably have a book or magazine that they are looking at. This will give you some idea of what they are interested in or interested in learning about.

Day4-Gym

The gym is supposed to be a place where people who want to get in shape go for a work out. However if you go to the gym you will often see people socializing with each other and with the staff. The thing you probably don’t know is that most of these people met each other at that very same gym. When it comes to working out, most people have a routine of exercises that they do and or days that they work out. If a person goes to the gym three times a week, chances are they will go at the same time and day every week. If you begin to go to the gym the same time and day every week, you will begin to see the same people. Commence by greeting different people in the gym as you approach a machine or treadmill that is close to where they are. That alone may begin a conversation that might lead to a date or business connection. If nothing progresses after the “hello”, chances are you will see that person again the same time on another day or week. Once the greeting is out of the way you can begin to converse with them on just about any topic.

Day5-Online

Social online networks are becoming more and more popular. Along with Myspace and Facebook, there are blogging communities, social bookmarks such as Digg, and match making websites. All of these different sites have their own purpose and they all give their users a chance to socialize with each other. If you have a Myspace account send a message to a friend of a friend that you would like to meet. Keep your message light and friendly so you can get a similar response. If you are interested in dating more, try Yahoo personals, eHarmony, or Match.com send a message to someone you would like to date. Meetup.com now makes it possible to add other members of your group to your friends list. So if you went to a meetup and you saw someone that you didn’t meet, you can send them a message right from your meetup account to theirs. The internet is becoming a socially vibrant place. Take advantage of your opportunity to explore your options.