[rho]

Hey everyone, I'm a first-time thread starter, long time lurker. I'll try to make this as succinct as possible.

I have an issue with girls. I'm 27, male, and I've never had a girlfriend. It's not that I haven't wanted to. I was very shy in my teenage years and early twenties, and only recently have I become somewhat outgoing. I've struggled with a mild speech impediment since I was 10 which contributed to my shyness. Anyway, long story short, there's a girl in one of my classes that I'm interested in, but when I talk to her (ie initiate conversation, answer her questions, etc) I become very nervous and have a difficult time making conversation. This kind of behavior is pretty standard for when I'm talking with a girl I find attractive. Put me next to someone I'm not attracted to, and I'm witty, chatty and relatively outgoing (initiating conversation for example). When I'm talking to someone I'm attracted to, it's a huge effort to just make conversation. I find myself thinking afterward "why did I say that? That's not like me".

I'm writing this to ask for help. Even if things don't work out with this girl, I'd still like to address this issue. I've made confidence-boosting changes in my life in the past month such as cutting out video games, jogging 3 times a week and doing calisthenics. These changes have helped with confidence, but I'm not sure it's the root of the problem. Anyway, any constructive input would be greatly appreciated.

Oh! Also, it has occurred to me that I might be too focused on the outcome, which could cause anxiety. Still, it is difficult to detach from wanting a positive outcome.