EDIT: This is no substitute for getting out there and putting yourself into new situations. It's simply meant to help put you in the confident, comfortable frame of mind that you owe it to yourself to be in when entering them.

Hello Seddit! I’m a longtime lurker on this page, /r/sex, and /r/relationships, and finally believe I have something good to contribute.

First of all, I enjoy that /r/seduction is a kind of support group for guys (like me!) who have dealt with situations of rejection, fear/anxiety, or even distanced themselves from others and are proactively working to change to improve these situations.

Whether it’s in dating, job/grad school interviews, or just meeting new people, I’m beginning to notice patterns in the way I’ve been carrying myself for virtually my entire life that have contributed to experiences of fear, anxiety, rejection, and even distancing myself from others. This is kind of a tough realization, but now that I've been able to see things more clearly, I think I can begin to change myself for the better to see more success in all of these areas! For me, I know that if I’m going to experience long-term change, it’s going to take a great deal of introspection, observation of my own thoughts and feelings, and getting used to being vulnerable.

And so, the challenge. For at least one month, I am reading as much as I can about these kinds of self-improvement topics, and am also keeping a journal to write down any thoughts about what I’m reading, related stories, and day-to-day insights, and I challenge you to do the same. If it’s working for me so far, it will definitely work for you. Challenge yourself to address deep-rooted personality traits, conditioned behaviors, and even childhood experiences to reflect on your life now. The books that I’ve read or am currently reading, are Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, Robert Glover’s No More Mr. Nice Guy, and Mark Manson’s Models: Attract Women Through Honesty. With the exception of Tolle, these books are male-centric, so if you have suggestions for additional books that are female-centric/independent of gender, please post! I’m only about a week in, but am already beginning to notice slight changes in myself and am paying more attention to the way I interact with others.

I’m not claiming this to be the best way to meet people, and I don’t think this challenge is going to help you become a master of picking up any girl you meet. Rather, I think that by learning about and investing more in yourself rather than working toward the external validation of others, you might find more long-lasting success in just about every aspect of your life, including meeting girls/sex/dating/whatever you’re trying to achieve.

If you have any additional suggestions, please comment! A lot of this stuff has been mentioned in different ways throughout Seddit, but in any case, good luck! I plan to update on my progress in a month.