After months of navigating grief and introspection following the loss of his mother, J.D., the creator and voice behind the personal finance and lifestyle platform Get Rich Slowly, has announced a significant shift in his personal and professional trajectory. In a candid update to his readers, he revealed that the lingering emotional fog of the past two months has finally begun to clear, sparking a renewed sense of motivation to pursue productive and intentional life goals.
Central to this fresh chapter is a deliberate and unapologetic commitment: designating 2023 as "The Year of Me."
For J.D., this initiative marks a return to a long-dormant practice of thematic living. More than a decade ago, he regularly structured his time around specific annual or monthly themes—a strategy that proved both enjoyable and highly effective for personal growth milestones related to fitness, writing, and dating. Over time, however, that habit faded, and J.D. found himself falling into a familiar trap familiar to many caregivers and professionals: consistently placing his own needs second, third, or even ninth in priority behind the demands of daily life and others.
Recognizing that this persistent self-neglect has long interfered with his physical and mental health, J.D. has decided to flip the script. Supported by his partner, Kim, he is consciously giving himself permission to prioritize his own wellbeing above all else for the foreseeable future. While acknowledging that putting oneself first can initially feel uncomfortable, selfish, or contrary to ingrained social habits, J.D. emphasizes that this introspection is a necessary correction.
"The truth is that by putting myself first, I’m almost certain to become a better person for others—including you," J.D. wrote to his audience. He noted that while this advice is something he has frequently offered to others over the years, acting on it has proven to be a long-standing challenge.
For the dedicated readership of Get Rich Slowly, J.D. reassures that the core experience of engaging with the site will remain largely unchanged. The transformation taking place is primarily internal. By prioritizing his own health, mental clarity, and personal desires, J.D. anticipates that the shift will naturally generate fresh insights and authentic fodder for future articles, while finally allowing for the completion of long-delayed site updates and redesign projects.
However, as part of this conscious shift toward self-care, J.D. is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing schedules or production pressures. Moving forward, he intends to write and publish organically—sharing thoughts only when inspiration strikes rather than forcing content for the sake of a calendar. This flexible approach was immediately reflected in his latest update, which was drafted spontaneously following a life-design exercise and a brief window of free time before a scheduled call. Rather than holding back or structuring the thoughts into a formal, highly polished essay, J.D. chose to share three distinct personal reflections in a conversational, free-flowing format.
2023 — The Year of Me
The philosophical foundation for J.D.’s current mindset was heavily influenced by recent travel and reading. During a Thanksgiving road trip to California to visit Kim’s family, the couple listened to The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. The book, which explores the psychological worldview of renowned Austrian thinker Alfred Adler, resonated deeply with J.D., who noted that the text might be more aptly titled The Courage to Be Happy.
Presented in the traditional literary style of a Socratic dialogue, the book offers a wealth of psychological insights challenging conventional wisdom regarding interpersonal relationships, trauma, and personal freedom. While acknowledging that the conversational format can occasionally make the text dense or slow-moving during a first listen, J.D. found the underlying principles so compelling that he plans to revisit the book in digital format to skim and extract its key takeaways. He also hinted that a formal review and summary of the Adlerian principles might eventually find its way onto Get Rich Slowly.
A Values-Driven Life
The theme of intentional living was further reinforced by a highlighted passage from Stephen R. Covey’s classic work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which resurfaced via J.D.’s digital reading logs. The quote emphasizes the fundamental distinction between reactive individuals—who are driven primarily by fleeting feelings, external circumstances, and environmental conditions—and proactive individuals, who anchor their actions in carefully considered, internalized values.
Reflecting on Covey’s words, J.D. recognized that he had temporarily lost his grip on impulse control while drifting away from his core personal values. Recognizing this disconnect was the catalyst for his current reset. Even before officially declaring his thematic year, J.D. had begun taking tangible steps to curb digital distractions and impulsive habits, such as removing time-consuming applications like Reddit and Hearthstone from his iPad.
By committing to a values-driven life and embracing the tenets of Adlerian psychology, J.D. is charting a deliberate path forward. While the structure and rhythm of his writing may evolve during this period of personal prioritization, his connection to his readers remains rooted in authenticity, introspection, and a shared journey toward mindful living.
