Blog to Action: How to meet new people

Many of my friends have asked me "How do you always manage to meet new people? It seems so easy for you."

CC0 image courtesy OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay

Well, for me, it is not as easy as it seems. I have recognized that time is limited and I have been consciously choosing to act and use some of my time to add more positive people into my life. To do so, I found that it takes time, practice, and some ideas about where to find those new people to meet.

I'm going to share with you 11 great tips that I've used to meet new people that hopefully will work for you too.

First, so you know what you're not getting in this blog post - I'm not going to cover these areas:

meeting new people online
forming close friendships
developing business relationships
finding someone to date or marry

There are plenty of how-to guides, books, services and apps to cover those areas. However, I do believe that success in each of those areas starts with meeting new people. Afterwards you can then move to forming more specific types of relationships.

So on to the 11 great tips for you…

Oh, one last note: For now, I'm skipping some of the online tools and services that bridge online interactions with meeting people "in real life". This includes tools provided by companies such as Meetup, MeetMe, Evite, Twoo, Badoo, eHarmony, and Tinder. I suspect that they'll be the subject of another discussion.

Top 3 Tips [ Be Random! ]

1. Visit a random place

Most of my friends know that this is probably my all time favorite thing to do. Explore. Spend some time somewhere where you've never been before. You can start small and do something like switch from one coffee shop hangout location to a different coffee shop location or you can go big and travel and spend time in another city, town, state or country. If you've never been to the place before, you're sure to get the opportunity to meet someone new.

2. Venture out at a random time

Many people seem to become creatures of habit. If you're one of those people, when you choose to venture out and about it is probably at the same time of day or night each time. Switch it up. If you normally go out during the day, try going out in the evening sometimes. If you're usually out during the evening, try hanging out during the day sometimes. You may be surprised at just how different the daytime regulars and nighttime regulars are. It is like day and night. :)

3. Do a random activity

Rounding out the being random theme (perhaps more appropriately called "mixing up your routine" but I prefer calling it being random) is to do a random activity. I love combining this with tips 1 and 2. Again, the key is to do something you don't consistently do already. If you do, you're likely to interact with a different set of people than you regularly do. Keep in mind that the activity can be with or without any of your current friends. Frankly, I seem to meet new people more frequently when I'm out on my own, but you should decide what works best for you.

Next 3 Tips [ Join Others! ]

4. Follow the music

Music attracts many types of people. So go to events where music is the focus. You could choose a big concert location, small music venue, or a music festival - check your local event calendars for options. Night clubs and bars with music can work too but they can be challenging if they are not your regular scene. I haven't done this yet, but I've been told that taking dance lessons can also lead to meeting new people if you don't already have a dance partner.

5. Share hobby time

Pick an existing hobby or start a new one. Meet with others who have the same hobby. Again, there are several possibilities. Join or form a local book club if you like reading. Start or join a game night to play board games with others who enjoy the same (you might live near a game store that hosts game nights already). Join a poker group or play in tournaments where players rotate regularly. If it is a known hobby, there are likely many others out there who enjoy the same hobby as you.

6. Focus on sports

Like a shared hobby, you can focus on a particular sport or team. The sport may be at a high school, recreational, college, or professional level. Your focus may mean that you play the sport: join a league or team and meet new people in the league or on the team. You may be a sports fanatic: go to the local sports bar (if you're of drinking age) or public house to watch the next big game and you'll most likely meet other fanatics there. Attend sporting events and you're likely to meet others sitting nearby with the same sporting interest(s) as you.

Final 5 Tips [ Participate in the program! ]

7. Party, party, party

Parties and celebrations happen frequently. If you're lucky enough to be invited to one, say yes! Initially you may not be interested in going to a particular party, but a party can provide a great way for you to meet new people just outside of your existing social circle (especially it attendees are allowed to bring others). This includes kids' birthday parties (they usually come with parents), friends' birthday parties, family celebrations, neighborhood events, local cookouts, etc.. I've personally found that going to one party may lead to invitations to additional parties with new groups of people with whom to meet.

8. Volunteer your time

Volunteering your time can certainly lead you to meeting new people. Those people may be other volunteers or those you choose to volunteer your time for. If you're short on ideas on how to volunteer your time, check out my previous posts suggesting volunteer opportunities or more specifically volunteer with seniors.

9. Go to school

Going to school has many benefits, one of which is that it gives you the opportunity to meet other people with shared interest (or shared dis-interest depending upon the situation). Opportunities may vary depending upon the type of school or university but they're out there: shared lunch times, study groups, class projects, and extracurricular activities are just a few. If you live in a dormitory, you may meet new neighbors. If you've been out of school for awhile you may take individual classes with group focus: art classes, cooking classes, dance classes, exercise classes, etc.. Schools and classes can definitely provide structured environments that facilitate meeting new people.

10. Go to work

Opportunities to meet new people at work may vary greatly depending upon the type of job but there's usually opportunity to meet new people. If you're in a service industry and interact with the general public frequently, it's a great opportunity to meet new people - sometimes you might meet someone new every day! If you're not in a service industry you may get opportunities to interact with new co-workers - like parties, say yes and join work sponsored events, team building activities, lunches or breaks with co-workers, after work drinks, etc.. Don't forget that every time you change jobs, shifts, or teams that you're likely getting opportunities to meet someone new.

11. Get a pet chicken

Okay, really I mean get a dog, but a pet chicken will likely serve the same purpose. I have not had a dog since I was very young but I have friends who tell me constantly about their experiences meeting new people while out walking a dog. I've witnessed it also. Dog lovers seem to attract other dog lovers randomly while out walking dogs. So get a dog (or borrow one), take it for a walk in your local dog park or neighborhood and you're likely to meet someone new. I'm pretty sure if I get a pet chicken, put a leash on it, and take it for a walk around town that I'm likely to meet someone new. Let me know if you try it. I'd be curious to know just how many new people you meet while trying to walk a chicken around town.

[UPDATE 11/26/16 - SEE BONUS TIP 12 HERE]

Conclusion [ with an extra challenge! ]

So there you have it. 11 great tips to help you meet new people. If you like the list, please use one of the sharing buttons below to share this list with others. Also, feel free to comment to add other suggestions describing how to meet new people or comment to share your own experiences with the tips above.

An Extra Challenge for You: If you haven't done so regularly already, try meeting someone new who does not look like you, sound like you, act like you, is from the same hometown as you, or is anything like the majority of your existing friends or colleagues. You may find doing so to be a very rewarding experience. You may also consider it pre-work for a future Blogtoaction.com post.

In the meantime, don't forget that time is precious. Take positive action now and go meet some new people.