PORTLAND, Oregon — J.D., the creator of the prominent personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly, has announced a major shift in his personal and professional trajectory, declaring 2023 to be “The Year of Me.” The announcement comes roughly two months after the death of his mother, a period of grief and subsequent reflection that has finally given way to a renewed sense of motivation and purpose.
Writing to his readership, J.D. explained that the heavy fog surrounding his personal life has lifted, allowing him to refocus on productive pursuits. However, after engaging in deep soul-searching alongside his partner, Kim, he realized that a fundamental change was overdue. For the foreseeable future, making himself the primary priority is essential not only for his own well-being, but ultimately for those around him.
The decision marks a return to a practice J.D. employed more than a decade ago: assigning thematic focuses to specific years and months. In the past, utilizing themes yielded positive results across various areas of his life, including fitness, writing, and dating. Over time, however, this habit fell away, and he found himself sliding down his own list of priorities, often placing his own physical and mental health second, third, or even ninth behind other obligations and distractions.
Acknowledging that the shift feels unconventional and carries initial feelings of selfishness or discomfort, J.D. emphasized that the change is necessary. He noted that neglecting his own needs under the guise of selflessness has ultimately hindered his ability to show up fully for others—a piece of advice he has frequently offered to friends and readers, but struggled to apply to his own life.
For the audience of Get Rich Slowly, J.D. anticipates that the external experience of the site will remain largely unchanged, though the internal shift may manifest in different ways. Alongside his personal growth, he intends to finally complete a long-overdue site redesign. However, in alignment with his new philosophy, he is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing schedules or production demands. Moving forward, he plans to write organically, sharing content only when he feels moved to do so rather than forcing production. This flexible approach was reflected in the creation of his recent update, which was drafted following a life-design exercise and a brief window of free time before a scheduled call.
The Courage to Be Disliked
The philosophical foundation for J.D.’s pivot was further shaped during a Thanksgiving road trip to California with Kim and her family. To pass the hours on the road, the couple listened to the audiobook The Courage to Be Disliked by authors Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. The book explores the psychological framework of Alfred Adler, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung whose theories emphasize human agency, purpose, and the rejection of trauma as a deterministic force.
J.D. noted that while the book’s title suggests a focus on social friction, the underlying message is more accurately described as The Courage to Be Happy. Presented through a Socratic dialogue between a philosopher and a young traveler, the text initially presented concepts that required significant listening time to fully grasp. Nevertheless, the audiobook provided considerable insight, prompting J.D. to plan a return to the material in a digital Kindle format to skim for key takeaways and potentially publish a comprehensive review on Get Rich Slowly at a later date.
A Values-Driven Life
The themes of personal agency and intentionality were further reinforced by a highlighted passage from Stephen R. Covey’s foundational work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which resurfaced via J.D.’s Readwise application. The quoted passage highlights the distinction between reactive individuals—who are driven by passing feelings, external circumstances, and environmental conditions—and proactive individuals, whose actions are dictated by carefully chosen, internalized values.
Reflecting on Covey’s words, J.D. realized that he had temporarily lost control over his immediate impulses while drifting away from his core values. To counter this trend, he has already taken proactive steps to curb digital distractions, such as uninstalling distracting applications like Reddit and Hearthstone from his tablet.
While these adjustments signal a departure from long-form, highly structured publishing schedules in favor of more conversational, episodic updates, J.D. assured readers that he is not abandoning his commitment to the platform. Instead, the coming months will prioritize internal alignment and values-driven living, with blog posts reflecting whatever creative direction feels most authentic during his designated year of self-prioritization.
