After months of navigating grief and professional obligations, J.D., the voice behind the personal finance platform Get Rich Slowly, has announced a major shift in focus for the upcoming year. Two months after the death of his mother, the lingering emotional fog has finally begun to lift, leaving him with a renewed sense of clarity and a strong motivation to return to productive pursuits.
In a candid update shared with readers, J.D. revealed that the past several weeks have involved intense soul-searching. Recognizing that he has consistently relegated his own well-being to the background, he and his partner, Kim, have concluded that a fundamental change is necessary. The result is a deliberate, unapologetic commitment: making 2023 the year of himself.
More than a decade ago, J.D. popularized the practice of assigning specific themes to individual years and months. This habit proved both engaging and remarkably fruitful, yielding positive results whenever he chose to dedicate a concentrated span of time to a single objective, whether that meant focusing on physical fitness, developing writing projects, or navigating the world of dating. While this structured approach eventually faded from his routine, the core philosophy remains intact.
For too long, J.D. admits, he has allowed himself to slip to second, third, or even ninth place in his own life. Starting immediately, his primary aim is to prioritize his own needs for the foreseeable future.
Acknowledging that this shift may initially feel uncomfortable, even bordering on selfish or wrong, J.D. emphasized that the decision is rooted in necessity. For too long, external distractions and obligations have interfered with his physical and mental health, sustained by a steady stream of excuses. Moving forward, his own well-being is taking absolute precedence, ushering in what he jokingly terms an age of selfishness.
Paradoxically, J.D. notes that putting oneself first is often the most effective way to become a better resource for others, including his readership. While this is advice he has frequently offered to friends and followers, applying it to his own life has proven challenging until now.
For the regular readers of Get Rich Slowly, the transition is expected to be seamless rather than disruptive. The most significant changes will occur internally, as J.D. grants himself explicit permission to place his personal needs and desires ahead of outside demands. Rather than detracting from his work, this self-prioritization is expected to generate fresh inspiration for future articles and finally bring closure to long-pending updates on the site’s design.
As part of this personal recalibration, J.D. is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing or production schedules. Moving away from forced content creation, he intends to write only when inspired. The recent update itself serves as a case in point, written during a pocket of free time following an exercise from the book Designing Your Life and just ahead of a scheduled call with a friend. While he recognizes that this is primarily an internal adjustment, he views it as a vital step forward.
2023 — The Year of Me
The journey toward this new mindset has been heavily influenced by recent reading material and introspective exercises. 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 Alfred Adler and might aptly be retitled The Courage to Be Happy, offered a wealth of perspectives that resonated deeply with J.D. during his period of reflection.
Although the book’s Socratic dialogue format presents certain challenges for casual reading, J.D. plans to revisit the text in digital format to extract and examine its core tenets. He has also hinted that a comprehensive review or summary of the book may eventually find its way onto Get Rich Slowly.
A Values-Driven Life
Reinforcing this internal pivot is a renewed focus on living a values-driven life. Highlighting a passage from Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People via his Readwise account, J.D. reflected on the distinction between proactive and reactive living. Covey notes that the ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of a proactive person, whereas reactive individuals are driven entirely by feelings, circumstances, and environmental conditions.
Recognizing that he had temporarily lost control over his impulses while drifting away from his core values, J.D. has already begun taking concrete steps to course-correct. This includes removing potential digital distractions, such as uninstalling Reddit and Hearthstone from his iPad, to clear the path for a more intentional lifestyle.
While these shifts may result in shorter, more conversational posts rather than long, structured essays, J.D. remains committed to the core mission of his platform. For now, embracing a more spontaneous and self-reflective approach aligns perfectly with the spirit of his Year of Me.
