Months after navigating a period of profound personal grief, J.D., the founder of the personal finance and lifestyle platform Get Rich Slowly, has announced a major shift in focus. In a candid update to readers, he shared that the heavy fog following his mother’s passing has finally begun to lift, leaving him with a renewed sense of motivation to pursue productive endeavors. However, rather than diving straight back into the relentless pace of digital publishing, he has made a conscious decision to prioritize his own physical and mental well-being, designating the upcoming months as "The Year of Me."
The announcement marks a significant turning point for a writer who has spent decades helping others navigate their financial lives, often at the expense of his own balanced routine. Reflecting on the past several weeks of deep soul-searching alongside his partner, Kim, J.D. came to a stark realization: after years of consistently placing his own needs second, third, or even ninth in line, it is time to make self-care the primary objective.
2023 — The Year of Me
The concept of structuring time around a specific theme is not entirely new to J.D. More than a decade ago, he established a habit of dedicating annual or monthly themes to different areas of his life. Whether he was focusing on physical fitness, writing projects, or dating, he found that devoting a concentrated span of time to a single objective consistently yielded fruitful and rewarding results.
That structured approach eventually fell by the wayside, and in the years that followed, J.D. found himself allowing various external distractions and obligations to interfere with his personal health and mental clarity. For the foreseeable future, however, that dynamic is changing entirely. Recognizing that he has spent too long making excuses and postponing his own well-being, he has resolved to put himself first.
Admitting that the shift initially felt uncomfortable, J.D. noted that prioritizing one’s own needs can often carry an unfair stigma of selfishness. Yet, he firmly believes that this internal realignment will ultimately make him a better person for those around him, including his readers, family, and friends. It is a philosophy he has frequently recommended to others, and he is now finally taking the steps necessary to put that knowledge into action.
For the audience of Get Rich Slowly, the day-to-day experience of reading the site is expected to remain largely unchanged. The true transformation is happening internally, giving the author the necessary permission to place his personal desires at the forefront. While this new chapter is expected to generate fresh insights and perspectives for future articles, it will also finally pave the way for long-overdue updates to the platform’s design.
At the same time, J.D. is deliberately stepping away from rigid publishing schedules and production demands. Moving forward, he intends to write only when he has something meaningful to say, refusing to force content simply to meet a quota. This organic approach to publishing mirrors the spontaneous nature of his latest update, which was written during a quiet moment between lifestyle design exercises and an upcoming call with a friend.
The Courage to Be Disliked
A major catalyst for this philosophical shift came during a Thanksgiving road trip to California with Kim and her family. To pass the hours on the road, the couple listened to The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. The book, which explores the psychological principles of Alfred Adler and might appropriately be subtitled The Courage to Be Happy, offered a wealth of perspective that resonated deeply with J.D. during a period of transition.
Although the book is written in the style of a Socratic dialogue—a format that J.D. noted has both strengths and weaknesses—it delivered powerful lessons regarding personal autonomy and mindset. The depth of the psychological framework required careful listening and contemplation, prompting him to plan a return to the material in a digital format to review and skim the core concepts. The profound impact of Adlerian psychology has left open the possibility of a comprehensive review or summary of the book on Get Rich Slowly in the future.
A Values-Driven Life
To anchor his new direction, J.D. highlighted a passage from Stephen R. Covey’s foundational work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which recently surfaced in his reading highlights. The quote emphasizes the essential distinction between proactive and reactive individuals: the ability to subordinate an immediate impulse to a deeply considered, internalized value.
Reflecting on Covey’s words, J.D. realized that he had temporarily lost the ability to control his impulses while drifting away from his core values. Recognizing the need to flip the script, he has already begun taking practical steps to curb digital distractions, such as removing time-consuming games and applications from his devices, and is actively working to align his daily actions with his true priorities.
While future posts on the platform may vary in length and style—ranging from short, focused thoughts to conversational updates—the overarching commitment to thoughtful, authentic writing remains intact. For J.D., the Year of Me represents not a withdrawal from his community, but a vital return to the foundational values that guide his life and work.
