I’ve been able to start small talk with random people on campus now. Still have this mental fight with myself about whether I should start one and risk sounding like an idiot when I talk to people, but I’m getting better at beating that mental voice down. Its easier for me to see perfect opportunites to start up some small talk, although I admit I have skipped a couple out of fear or anxiety.

I also have a couple people in my classes that I regularly talk to. I usually don’t talk to anyone, but this semester I’m trying to make sure I have at least one person in each class I talk to regularly. It helps with working on my social skills and some of these people might become friends. I’m also looking into getting involved on campus. I still feel like a social retard, but significantly less than when I first started this goal. I realize that all of this “socially retarded” thinking is in my head, because no one else seems to see it(or maybe they’re just too polite to tell me). I need get over those thoughts, but its like they’ve been engraved into my head.

As for the confidence portion of this goal, I know I’ve always had it. I just need to focus on having it with me in whatever I do. I am insanely competitive when it comes to bets, sports, and videogames, but when it comes to something like meeting people, my confidence just runs off and does its own thing.