You can work toward being your best self, and get out there to meet people at the same time. Adding new activities to your life covers both. Think of a couple hobbies, good causes, or activities that you’re interested in. It can be things that you’re into or things that are totally new. Then find and join a few things, and start going regularly. You can sharpen a skill you’ve always had, or take a crash course in something totally new. (I just saw an ad for sailing lessons in my area, it sounds awesome.) You could do volunteering, intramural sports, go on a trip for solo travelers, meetups, take a cooking class, go mountain climbing, whatever. Open mic nights, toastmasters, and improv are supposed to be great for shyness.
This will do two things for you. You’ll be out there meeting more people, which will bring more friends into your life and increase your chances of meeting the right one. And it will make your life richer and more interesting. You’ll gain confidence and become a more well-rounded person. It will give you lots of cool new stuff to talk about when you meet all these new people, and you’ll be able to find more common ground.
Don’t be afraid to start conversations with people or exchange contact info. Not all of them will work out, but the more you do it the easier it becomes. And while you’re at it, read a lot and learn new things! Don’t let your mind stagnate; feed it a healthy and varied diet.
A good start is to pick one thing and start going regularly. And if you have a choice between doing something at home or doing it outside, try to go out. Like- you could sit at home fluthering on your couch, or you could do it in a coffeehouse. Go for walks by yourself, go to museums and galleries by yourself, whatever. The root of all that stuff is 1) show up, and 2) take action.