Treated social skills like training and actually saw real progress - Alhamdulillah

Assalamu Alaikum - I've been weightlifting for 4 years and saw huge gains, Alhamdulillah. I decided to try the same approach with social skills and, honestly, it worked. Progressive overload for conversations: - Week 1–2: started saying “JazakAllah khair” or “thank you” to baristas and shopkeepers instead of just nodding. Literally the lightest weight. - Week 3–4: added “how’s your day going?” to cashiers and neighbors. Still easy but increased the volume. - Week 5–6: small talk at the gym between sets. “Are you done with this?” turned into short, friendly chats. - Week 7–8: began conversations with people at coffee shops or the masjid courtyard. Getting into proper working weight. - Week 9–10: attending community events and talks - felt like heavy compound lifts. Tracking progress: I kept a simple log like my workout diary - counted reps (number of conversations), noted quality (how they went), and where I messed up. Deload weeks when needed: some weeks I was socially drained so I cut back on volume. Got feedback from friends so I could correct mistakes I couldn’t see myself. The results: went from eating lunch alone to having a steady crew I hang out with at the gym and community gatherings. Made two real friends, Alhamdulillah. My confidence in social settings shot up - like hitting a long-awaited PR. My marriage/dating life improved because I can actually hold conversations now instead of getting awkward. Most people expect social skills to just appear by themselves. They don’t. You need progressive overload, consistency, and tracking - same principles as any physical training. Stop hoping it’ll get better on its own. Train it - and put tawakkul in Allah.