It had been a long conference, and I was tired and just wanted to go home. There was a "networking reception" on the top floor of the Studio Theater facility, and the conference crowd was working its way to the top floor. 

By the time I got there it was packed, and loud. I've always felt intimidated by these situations, but now that I'm in my 60s I get tired, and I don't have patience. Even more, I have hearing aids and I struggle to hear what people are saying. 

So I stood there for a while. I went to the snack table and took some cheese and a piece of broccoli. "I have to talk to at least one other person," I told myself. After all, I co-authored a book on networking. I can't be a hypocrite. Here are some tips to the older me:

1)  A nudge is a good thing. 

2) Find one other person on the sidelines. There's always that person, like me. 

3) Set realistic goals. Talking to one other person is a good goal, but three other people would be even better. And it's very possible. 

4) The magic is in the follow-up. Even if I have a short conversation or series of conversations, I can follow up on LinkedIn or with an e-mail. 

5) Next time, prepare better for the conference by hydrating, doing yoga, and setting my intention to connect. 

We're all human. Being gentle with ourselves and becoming our own networking coach can help us to build better connections and relationships in any phase of our lives.