I have been working with people that have lost touch with close friends and they are feeling lonely and they are not sure how to go about developing closer friendships or brand new friendships. I imagine this resonates with our readers. You may be recently divorced, or if you are single your long time friends are now busy with their partnerships/marriages or children.
It seems as though many of us may want to develop new friendships each decade. I know these days most of the people I regularly socialized with in my twenties I see on rare occasions now. And that also speaks somewhat of my circles in my thirties. My friends have shared with me that after I started my business I became less available, as if I were raising a baby, but my unavailability was growing my business. At times, I do feel that Mantis is my baby.
Sometimes working on connecting or socializing with others can be easy. There may be friends you have lost touch with that would embrace getting together for coffee, breakfast and such. So the effort may be thinking about who drifted away and who you want to drift back into your circle.
Another way to meet new people is to join local networking groups. I have found that networking groups can be great for the business but they are also a great place to meet new friends. You can develop a friendship that has a few built in shared passions or interests.
When asked, you can also say yes to social events. If there is a happy hour at work, think about going. If there is a birthday party invite, attend it. I found that after a very busy work week, I tended to pass up invitations to parties, but I realize now that once I arrive, I usually am glad to connect with old and new friends.
And finally, I like the idea of people joining and participating in social meet up groups. There are several out there, so you can discover the best fit for you.
