For J.D., the creator of the popular personal finance and lifestyle platform Get Rich Slowly, the start of a new calendar year marks a profound internal shift. Following a period of intense grief and deep soul-searching, he has announced that he is dedicating the coming months entirely to his own well-being. Two months after the passing of his mother, the lingering emotional fog has finally begun to lift, leaving him with a renewed sense of motivation to pursue productive and healthy endeavors once more.
In a candid update addressed to his readers and community, J.D. explained that both he and his partner, Kim, have recognized an urgent personal truth: above all else, he needs to make the coming months the "Year of Me." This decision comes after years of consistently placing his own needs, mental health, and physical well-being on the back burner.
"I’ve spent too long putting myself second. Or third. Or ninth," J.D. wrote, noting that his aim moving forward is to prioritize himself for the foreseeable future. While acknowledging that adopting such a mindset feels unfamiliar, and at times even selfish or wrong, he emphasizes that the change is a necessary step toward long-term balance. For too long, he admits, he has allowed external distractions, obligations, and excuses to interfere with his fundamental health, letting J.D. fall away as job number one.
2023 — The Year of Me
The concept of intentionally framing a span of time around a specific theme is not entirely new to J.D.’s life. More than a decade ago, he adopted the habit of assigning themes to his years and months, a practice he found to be both enjoyable and remarkably fruitful. Whether he chose to devote a specific span of time to fitness, writing, or dating, those intentional periods consistently yielded positive results. However, like many personal habits, the practice eventually fell by the wayside as life grew more complex.
Reviving the tradition now is a challenging mental hurdle. Adopting a self-first mentality runs counter to years of conditioning, but J.D. is quick to point out a fundamental paradox: by finally putting himself first, he is almost certain to become a better, more present person for others—including his readers, friends, and family. It is a piece of advice he has frequently offered to others over the years, yet one he personally found difficult to put into practice until now.
For the regular readers of Get Rich Slowly, J.D. anticipates that the external experience of the site will remain largely unchanged. The transformation taking place is primarily internal. By granting himself explicit permission to put his own needs and desires ahead of everything else, he expects the shift to naturally generate fresh material and insights for his writing. Furthermore, he hopes it will finally pave the way for the completion of the site’s long-delayed de-design project.
As part of this renewed personal focus, however, J.D. is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing schedules and production quotas. He plans to write when he has something genuine to say and to remain silent when he does not, refusing to force content for the sake of consistency. This philosophy mirrors the very nature of his recent update, which was written spontaneously during a pocket of free time after completing a Designing Your Life exercise, just before a scheduled call with a friend. While he recognizes that this internal adjustment is subtle, he considers it an essential evolution.
The Courage to Be Disliked
A significant catalyst for this philosophical pivot occurred during a Thanksgiving road trip to California, where J.D. and Kim visited her brother’s family. To pass the time during the long 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 of Alfred Adler, resonated deeply, prompting extensive reflection despite its somewhat provocative title—one that J.D. suggests might be more accurately framed as The Courage to Be Happy.
The audiobook proved to be rich with philosophical insights, though J.D. noted the humorous frustration of trying to highlight passages while listening on the road. The text is structured in the style of a Socratic dialogue, a format that offers distinct narrative advantages while occasionally making quick reference a challenge. Because of this, J.D. plans to revisit the book in a digital Kindle format, skimming specifically for the standout concepts and valuable takeaways. He has also hinted that a full review and summary of Adler’s philosophies may eventually find a home on Get Rich Slowly.
A Values-Driven Life
The themes of intentionality and personal alignment were further reinforced by a highlighted passage that resurfaced through his Readwise account from Stephen R. Covey’s foundational work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The quote struck a poignant chord regarding his current life stage:
"The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of a proactive person. Reactive people are driven by feelings, by circumstances, by conditions, by their environment. Proactive people are driven by values—carefully thought about, selected, and internalized values."
Reflecting on these words, J.D. realized that a primary reason he reached a point requiring a dedicated "Year of Me" was his temporary loss of control over momentary impulses, coupled with a detachment from his core values. Recognizing the need to flip the script, he has already begun taking concrete steps to curb reactionary habits, such as removing distractions like Reddit and Hearthstone from his iPad. The next phase involves actively reintegrating his thoughtfully chosen values back into daily practice.
Ultimately, J.D.’s recent reflections point toward a more conversational, organic approach to sharing his journey. While he has no intention of abandoning long-form, focused articles entirely, the current climate of his life calls for shorter, more reflective updates. For the duration of his Year of Me, writing that flows naturally from personal discovery and real-time reflection feels like the only path forward.
