After navigating a profound period of grief and months of intense personal introspection, J.D., the founder of the personal finance community Get Rich Slowly, has announced a major shift in his personal and professional trajectory. Two months following the passing of his mother, he has shared a candid update with his readers, indicating that the emotional fog has finally begun to lift and inspiring a renewed sense of motivation to prioritize his own mental and physical well-being.
In a reflective post published to the site, J.D. revealed that, after lengthy discussions with his partner, Kim, he has made the definitive decision to designate 2023 as "The Year of Me." This strategic shift marks a deliberate departure from years of placing his own needs far down the priority list behind external obligations, distractions, and the demands of daily life.
The concept of thematic years is not entirely new to J.D.’s routine. More than a decade ago, he regularly established guiding themes for specific periods in his life, yielding positive and fruitful results across various endeavors, including physical fitness, writing projects, and dating. However, despite the proven success of this intentional lifestyle approach, the habit eventually faded away as other responsibilities took precedence.
Reflecting on the past several weeks of soul-searching, J.D. acknowledged that he has spent far too long putting himself second, third, or even ninth in his own life. While the realization initially triggered feelings of selfishness and self-doubt, he has come to accept that neglecting his own foundational health and happiness is ultimately unsustainable. By dedicating the foreseeable future to putting his own needs first, he aims to reclaim his physical and mental vitality, operating under the principle that caring for oneself inherently creates a stronger, more capable person for others, including his readership.
For the audience of Get Rich Slowly, J.D. assured readers that the core experience of the platform will remain largely unchanged. The transformation is primarily internal, focusing on granting himself the explicit permission to prioritize his well-being. While this shift will likely generate fresh perspectives and content for the site—and finally bring about the long-awaited site de-design—it also comes with a significant change in production philosophy.
Moving forward for the duration of 2023, J.D. is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing schedules and production quotas. He intends to write purely when inspired, eschewing forced content in favor of authentic, spontaneous updates. This flexible approach was directly reflected in the creation of his latest update, which was drafted following a personal exercise from the book Designing Your Life during a brief window of free time before a scheduled call with a friend.
The Courage to Be Disliked
The catalyst for much of J.D.’s recent philosophical re-evaluation can be traced back to a road trip he and Kim took to California to visit her brother’s family for Thanksgiving. To pass the time during the drive, the couple listened to the audiobook The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.
The book, which explores the psychological worldview and theories of renowned Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler, resonated deeply with J.D., to the point that he playfully noted the title might more accurately be called The Courage to Be Happy. Filled with dense philosophical insights and unconventional perspectives, the material initially presented a challenge for the couple, requiring careful listening and internal processing before its core tenets fully clicked into place.
Intrigued by the depth of Adlerian psychology presented in the work, J.D. plans to revisit the book in a digital Kindle format, intending to skim through the text to re-examine the standout passages and philosophical takeaways. Because the book is structured in the traditional format of a Socratic dialogue between a philosopher and a young student, J.D. noted that a targeted review will allow him to bypass the conversational filler and focus directly on the foundational wisdom. He has also hinted that a comprehensive review or summary of The Courage to Be Disliked may eventually find a home on the pages of Get Rich Slowly.
A Values-Driven Life
The broader themes of intentional living and personal accountability were further reinforced by a highlighted passage that resurfaced via J.D.’s Readwise account, drawn from Stephen R. Covey’s classic work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The excerpt emphasized the distinction between proactive individuals—who are guided by carefully selected, deeply internalized values—and reactive individuals, who allow their choices to be dictated by fleeting feelings, external conditions, and immediate environmental pressures.
Reflecting on Covey’s insight, J.D. recognized that he had temporarily lost his ability to govern his daily impulses while simultaneously drifting away from his core personal values. Acknowledging this misalignment served as an urgent reminder to flip the script and restore order to his daily habits. Practical steps toward this realignment had already begun prior to his public announcement, including the deliberate removal of distracting applications like Reddit and Hearthstone from his iPad to curb digital impulses.
By re-establishing a values-driven routine, J.D. aims to navigate the upcoming months with clarity and purpose. While readers can expect a departure from traditional, long-form structured guides in the immediate future—with recent thoughts naturally dividing into distinct, conversational essays rather than cohesive tutorials—the overarching mission of personal growth and financial reflection remains firmly intact. For J.D., the Year of Me represents not a withdrawal from his community, but a vital internal reset designed to bring authenticity and renewed energy back to his life and work.
