For J.D., the creator and voice behind the personal finance publication Get Rich Slowly, the opening months of 2023 mark a significant turning point. Following a challenging period marked by the passing of his mother two months ago, J.D. announced to his readers that the lingering fog has finally lifted, restoring his motivation to pursue productive endeavors and prompting a profound reassessment of his personal and professional priorities.
In a candid update shared with his community, J.D. explained that extensive soul-searching—undertaken alongside his partner, Kim—made it abundantly clear that he needs to prioritize his own well-being above all else. For the foreseeable future, making 2023 the "Year of Me" is the central focus of his life, a decision driven by a long-overdue realization that his own physical and mental health have been relegated to the background for far too long.
2023 — The Year of Me
The concept of thematic living is not entirely new to J.D. More than a decade ago, he regularly established themes for his years and months, a practice he recalls as both enjoyable and remarkably fruitful. Whether he was dedicating a specific span of time to fitness, writing, or dating, concentrating his efforts yielded positive results. However, that habit eventually fell by the wayside as other responsibilities took precedence.
Reflecting on his trajectory, J.D. acknowledged that he has spent too many years placing himself second, third, or even ninth in line. Starting recently, his explicit aim is to put himself first for the next year or more. Admitting that this shift feels inherently difficult, and at times even selfish or wrong, he emphasized that allowing daily distractions and external pressures to interfere with his health has gone on long enough. Excuses have been discarded in favor of making himself the primary priority.
Despite the initial discomfort of prioritizing his own needs, J.D. expressed a firm belief that putting himself first will ultimately make him a better person for others, including his readers. While this is a piece of advice he has frequently offered to others in the past, he noted that acting on it has proven challenging.
For the regular readers of Get Rich Slowly, J.D. reassured them that the core experience of the site will remain largely unchanged. The transformation is primarily internal, driven by the conscious permission to place his own desires ahead of external demands. While he anticipates that this personal renewal will generate fresh material and insights for future articles—and finally bring about the completion of the site’s ongoing redesign—he is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing schedules.
Under the banner of the "Year of Me," J.D. is choosing not to force content production. If he has something meaningful to share, he will publish it; if not, he will refrain from manufacturing posts. This flexible approach mirrors how the recent update came to be: following a personal exercise from the book Designing Your Life and having a brief window of free time before a scheduled call with a friend, he decided to check in with his audience.
The Courage to Be Disliked
A significant catalyst for J.D.’s current introspective phase came during a Thanksgiving trip to California with Kim to visit her brother’s family. To pass the time during the drive, the couple listened to The Courage to Be Disliked by authors Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. The book, which explores the psychological worldview of Alfred Adler, resonated deeply with them, prompting discussions about personal autonomy, interpersonal relationships, and happiness.
J.D. noted that while the book is packed with profound insights, its format as a Socratic dialogue can sometimes make the underlying concepts difficult to digest without the thorough explanations provided throughout the text. Intending to absorb the material more fully, he plans to revisit the work in a digital format, skimming specifically for the core takeaways. He also hinted that a comprehensive review or summary of the book could eventually make its way onto Get Rich Slowly.
A Values-Driven Life
Reinforcing his commitment to intentional living, J.D. highlighted a passage that recently appeared in his Readwise highlights from Stephen R. Covey’s classic work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The quote emphasizes that the ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the true essence of a proactive person, whereas reactive individuals are driven entirely by fleeting feelings, external circumstances, and their immediate environment.
Reflecting on this philosophy, J.D. recognized that he had temporarily lost control over his impulses while drifting away from his core values. To counter this, he has already begun taking concrete steps to regain discipline, such as removing distracting applications like Reddit and Hearthstone from his iPad. Aligning his daily habits with carefully considered and internalized values is the next critical step in executing his personal reset.
Looking ahead, J.D. noted that while his output may shift toward shorter, more conversational reflections rather than long-form guides, his commitment to his audience and his own personal growth remains steadfast. The journey toward a values-driven life has begun, and the "Year of Me" is officially underway.
