It's pretty cliché, but it's true. Going abroad will change your life. And no, I'm not talking about going to Colombia and becoming a passport bro.

There are three main ways you can drastically improve your personality and social skills if you're under 30:

1.) Going on exchange (ideally for 2 full semesters, not just one) if you're still in university

2.) Backpacking long-term (at least 6 months, but ideally a year if you can), always staying in hostels

3.) Working long-term at a hostel (ideally a party hostel) in another country

All three of these can be so beneficial to your personal development and can accelerate your personal growth like nothing else.

Why? For several reasons:

For one, they put you out of your comfort zone and as we all know, growth only happens when you're outside your comfort zone. Having to navigate organizing yourself and planning your travels in different cultures and languages is huge.

Second, they give you seemingly endless opportunities to practice talking to people since you will be constantly meeting new people all the time, always getting fresh starts to improve your social interactions. A lot harder to achieve this in your hometown.

Third, the people you meet will be a lot more receptive than strangers in your hometown would be, making the social skills learning curve a lot easier to manage. You will also feel less pressure than you would back home since you subconsciously feel more anonymous while abroad.

Fourth, they will teach you to get over what other people think of you. Putting yourself in that many social situations will desensitize you to them, making it much easier for you to talk to anybody. This is why I suggest doing this for at least 6 months.

Fifth, they will make you a more interesting person with fun experiences and stories to tell, improving your overall personality and making you someone that people want to be around. People who do the same thing every day / week simply aren't interesting people. Do something that makes you different.

Essentially, just like with any skill, you need practice to get good at being social and these three strategies are some of the most efficient in helping you get those reps in.

But what if you're over 30?

There are fewer cheat codes for this, but all hope is not lost. If you're lucky to be in an industry that allows you to work remote (or if you have your own remote business), then becoming a digital nomad is one way to do it. Just be careful not to veer into passport bro territory as that won't help you with your growth.

Another option if you work for a multinational company is to transfer to another office in another country for a year. Either way, whether you're an expat or a nomad, you'd have to create your own social situations in this case, going to big cities with big expat/nomad populations that have tons of events you can go to.

In conclusion...

Whether you're under or over 30, the key here is to focus on your social skills, not your game. Make friends with everyone, don't just chase women. Try different things, make mistakes, and make sure you learn from them. Pay attention to charismatic people and take notes.

Basically, become someone that people want to be around. Learn to accept who you are and work with what you have. And most importantly, enjoy the journey because I guarantee the year you spend abroad will end up becoming the most memorable year of your life.

I say this because I have personally done everything mentioned in this post and I can confidently say that they have been some of the best investments I've ever made.