No, this is not a gift, an offering for something you did, or a random act of kindness.  This ROSE has a different meaning, and this is possibly the most important factor in how your life works out.

ROSE = Rate Of Self Evolution

If you want to lead an average life, it’s easy.  Do the same things almost everyone else does:

• Get a 8-5 job with a 30 minute plus commute, a boss that micro-manages you in a stressful work environment that is understaffed and everyone is overworked.
• Eat a typical American diet of fast food during the week and beer on the weekends.  Don’t read anything that your job doesn’t require, watch reality TV or sports all day Saturday and Sunday, Monday night and Thursday night as well.
• You have over $5,000 in credit card debt plus student loans that are plaguing you.
• If you add in other commonalities like being 20+ pounds overweight, never set foot in a gym, and have less than One Thousand dollars in the bank between paydays, congrats…you have hit “typical” dead center.

Or…

You could start measuring your life by your Rate of Self Evolution.  You could get a gym membership and prioritize getting there three days a week minimum.  This should lead to you cleaning up your diet, buying food that you prepare at home and bring with you to work instead of hitting the burrito place across the street from the office.  You will likely find that this switch alone keeps more money in your bank account and you are not living hand to mouth so much.  Once you can get another thousand dollars set aside, things can change quite a bit.  Now you have a shot at getting out from under the credit card debt that you are losing 24% interest on per month.  And this is just on the personal finance side of things, there are lots of other areas in life you can improve upon.

If you are currently in college and are looking forward to the day that you graduate and never have to read another book the rest of your life, you are in trouble.  That thought process will have you stuck at a low level for a long time.  Your goal should be to be a lifelong learner.  This is how you grow and expand, bring more to the table, and acquire skills that help move you forward.  Not everyone wants to or needs to be the CEO of the company you work for, but advancement typically leads to more options and benefits.  Are you growing and evolving at work, or are you stagnate, just biding time until payday?  Don’t get me wrong, with more pay comes more responsibility and more time commitment.  That may not be the right thing for you, but are you really trying to figure that out?  Would a side hustle that starts to make more money be a better way to go? Get started, don’t wait any longer.  Do you have friends that are going to update their resume and find a new job but have been saying that for two years?  I know I have…

Your Rate Of Self Evolution should cover all facets of your life.  Are you trying to improve yourself as a partner in a relationship, or are you stuck in your ways and hoping that your partner of choice will learn to tolerate those behaviors?  I personally believe that it is every individual’s responsibility to maximize their potential and become the best version of themselves they can be.  The world would be a much better place if everyone had this mentality.  But since most do not, this means if you do, you will rise to the top of whatever you are pursuing.  If you were debt free, had a job you liked most of the time, had some freedom to travel or do whatever you like on occasion, do you have any idea how rare of a person that makes you?  Most people are broke at whatever financial level they are at, mortgaged to the hilt, funding a lifestyle that shows everyone how much they are making, or at least how much they want you to think they are making a year.  So many live beyond their means thinking some day they will make enough money to pay off all the debt they have racked up.  I know, I thought this way for a long time.  Please learn from my mistakes…

Map out a plan for increasing your ROSE.  A written plan is literally half the battle to getting started and continuing with your improvement.  Start small and let the momentum build; if your first goal is financial, get that smallest credit card balance paid off and then tackle the next one.  If its health related, get a gym membership and start small.  Work out for 30 minutes three days a week and build up from there.  Make it part of your lifestyle, a non-negotiable for you.  Read ATOIMIC HABITS by James Clear and learn the principals of true incremental improvement and just how much impact 1% a day makes.  Soon this should lead you towards a better diet and smarter overall lifestyle choices.  Before long you have revamped your normal routines and you will better for it.  These principles apply to everything you do, so polish the skills of increasing your capacities.  It is the same as any other skill set, you’ll struggle at first until you get a few things figured out and then you will be off and running.  Your new approach to life will pervade everything you do.  You’ll lead by example and others will want to follow.

No one is coming to rescue you, do it for you, write the business plan or redo your resume.  YOU and only you have the power to change things.  As one of my all-time favorite quotes says:

“A person should not be measured by where they end up,

but rather, what they overcome.”

Johnny Miller – PGA Professional

It doesn’t matter where you start at, rich or poor, fit or unhealthy, loving or hating your job, it’s within your power to change any and all of it.  Be smart, do it incrementally, but most importantly be consistent.  Someone who works out for six hours on a Saturday once a month is not going to see the same results as someone who works out 30 minutes three times a week.  Apply this to anything you undertake and you will find yourself leaving that average category behind.

I wish you luck in your endeavors.