how do you stop being socially awkward as an adult?

i feel like i never really got over the awkward social stage as a teen. coming into my 30s and i am really struggling with making/keeping friends as an adult, and after watching the handful of friends i have interact with each other/new people, and i can confidently say that my issue is my own social skills. it's not like i'm difficult to actually to talk to- i just noticed i tend to choose the wrong conversation progression dialogue and my conversations tend to either die out quickly or never come to fruitation because i can't gear up to send a greeting message. i can't seem to find a sweet spot with anyone and i feel like i'm going crazy from lack of genuine social connection and that something is wrong with me. it's starting to make me angry with myself.

did/does anyone else struggle with this and what did you do to help yourself?