Well, you know you have a problem. That's a great start. Now you must realize that you can change yourself, but it will not be easy. You must stay motivated, keep trying, and be prepared for many failures before you can reach success.

Okay, so now for more specific things to do. Take baby steps; start slowly with things you can do. Make a conscious effort to look confident and keep your head up. Smile at people when you see them, don't turn away.

If you can master just being able to look at people and smile, then you can move on to conversation. You don't need to do anything special, just "hello," your name, get their name, and then the next time you see them say "how's it going?" And that's it! Instant friend. Of course, this alone won't create very close friends, but it will be a big start for somebody like you. After you have made this kind of friend you can start to get closer by talking about things you have in common, but this might be too far along for you right now. Don't stress about having to be instantly perfect and social; it's a long slow learning process, like learning to use VIM.

But it will be worth it! I believe in you! You can do it!