How My Goal of Meeting 2 New People a Day Completely Changed My Life Meeting two new people daily improved my social skills, sales skills, relationships and so much more. Read the rest of this article to learn exactly how I did it and what I observed from this experiment.
By Dejon Brooks Edited by Chelsea Brown
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you know me personally, you know that I love setting random goals. One of the most random goals I've set was getting rid of all my clothes at the beginning of 2020 and buying x10 pairs of khakis and blue shirts.
I wore this exact style of outfit every day for almost two years. This goal was EXTREMELY beneficial, but it was beaten by a random goal I set just over a year ago. That goal was to meet two new people each day.
To make it even more of a challenge, I had the following rules on what counts:
I need to introduce myself and learn their name
We speak for a MINIMUM of 2-3 minutes
No cold approaching
No counting the same person twice
Enforcing these rules made sure each interaction I had was meaningful and was forcing me outside of my comfort zone. After maintaining this rule for over a year and meeting over 3,000 people, I noticed some tremendous benefits. Here's what I learned:
Related: 10 Ways to Connect With Absolutely Anyone You Meet
1. How to spark a conversation out of thin air
I'm not going to lie, the interactions within my first week of enforcing this goal were embarrassing. I stuttered a lot, there were awkward encounters, etc. Over time, I learned how to read people's body language to know if they wanted to be approached or weren't interested in the conversation.
I also learned how to adjust to people's moods. Not every day is going to be sunshine and roses. Even the happiest people have bad days and sometimes want to be left alone for the day. I, too, have those days.
Meeting two new people a day significantly helped me master my social skills. This made it easier to spark conversations out of thin air with full confidence. This includes random interactions in:
An elevator
Coffee shop
Bus stop
Bathroom
Checkout line
Plus so many other random everyday places!
Some of these interactions led to future clients, friendships and relationships. None of these relationships would have existed had I not said "hello."
2. I learned how to be alone
When you meet two people a day, sometimes you get sick of talking. Having some time to yourself sounds more amazing than surrounding yourself with others. I'm not talking about all of the time, but now and then. Some days I just wanted to go out on my own and enjoy my own company. This allowed me to de-stress, focus on my mental health/happiness and develop new ideas.
In the past, when plans with friends fell through, it would ruin my night. I didn't know how to enjoy my own company. But now, if plans with friends fall through, I would know how to end the day on a high note by myself.
3. I learned how to listen
When you meet two or more new people a day, you eventually get tired of hearing yourself speak. I realized that telling my story repeatedly was getting boring, so I started asking more questions.
By focusing more on the person/group I was talking to, I naturally became a better listener. When you listen, you start asking better and more relevant questions to the conversation. This makes the conversation more meaningful, and I'll often make a friend out of the interaction.
Becoming a great listener also taught me the art of knowing when to talk and not showcasing all my cards at once. By showcasing all of my cards, I'm referring to telling someone every exciting detail about myself. This often kills the mystery within the conversation.
Related: How Entrepreneurs Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
When I set this goal to meet two new people a day, I had no idea it would completely change my life. The secondhand effects of mastering my social skills significantly helped me in my relationships, friendships, sales skills and so much more.
It also helped me make a smooth transition into the real world. I initially set this goal after I moved 2,000 miles away from Atlanta, Georgia to Provo, Utah. I was 20 years old at the time. I knew how to make my way around, but enforcing this goal helped me grow ten times faster.
If you are looking for a single action or goal that will exponentially improve your life in many areas, I recommend picking up this same goal of meeting two new people a day. When taken seriously, I promise it will completely transform your life.
