After a season of profound grief and introspection following the passing of his mother two months ago, J.D. Roth, the veteran personal finance expert and founder of the long-running platform Get Rich Slowly, has officially signaled a major pivot in his life and work. In a candid update to his readership, Roth announced that 2023 will be defined as the "Year of Me"—a deliberate, values-driven initiative to reclaim his physical and mental well-being by prioritizing his own needs above the relentless demands of content production.
This shift marks a departure from his long-standing habits of external focus, representing a strategic attempt to move from a reactive, impulse-driven state to a proactive, value-centered existence.
The Catalyst: Grief, Reflection, and the "Year of Me"
The decision to designate 2023 as the "Year of Me" did not emerge in a vacuum. The two months following the death of his mother served as a period of deep, often painful soul-searching. Roth admits that for years, he had relegated his own health and personal fulfillment to the bottom of his priority list, often finding himself in the position of being "second, third, or even ninth" in his own life.
"I’ve spent too long putting myself second," Roth wrote in his recent update. "Starting yesterday, my aim is to put myself first for the next year—or more."
This philosophy of "theming" years is not new to Roth; he famously utilized this technique over a decade ago to achieve measurable results in fitness, writing, and personal growth. However, after that habit fell by the wayside, the pressures of professional life and personal tragedy caused him to lose sight of his core trajectory. By reclaiming this practice, he hopes to break the cycle of making excuses for his own neglect.
A Philosophical Reorientation: Lessons from Adler and Covey
To facilitate this transformation, Roth is turning to seminal literature on self-actualization. A significant influence on his current mindset is The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. The book, which explores the Adlerian psychology of Alfred Adler, has provided a roadmap for Roth’s transition.
The Courage to Be Disliked
The core tenet of the book, which Roth notes could aptly be titled The Courage to Be Happy, is the idea that individuals have the power to define their own reality, independent of the judgments or expectations of others. For a public figure who has spent years catering to an audience’s expectations, this is a revolutionary stance. Roth’s interest in this work highlights his desire to strip away the "noise" of external obligations and focus on the internal work necessary to achieve long-term happiness.
Subordinating Impulse to Value
Supporting this shift is the work of Stephen R. Covey, specifically his classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Roth highlighted a critical passage that has become his North Star for the coming year:
"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."
Roth acknowledges that he has recently struggled with impulse control—citing his removal of distracting apps like Reddit and Hearthstone as a first step—and that he had, for a time, forgotten his own core values. The "Year of Me" is an attempt to realign his daily actions with his long-term principles.
Implications for Get Rich Slowly and the Audience
For the thousands of readers who rely on Get Rich Slowly for financial guidance and personal development advice, the immediate concern may be the future of the site. Roth has addressed these concerns with transparency: he is officially abandoning the traditional, rigid publishing and production schedule that has governed his work for years.
A Shift in Content Delivery
Under the new paradigm, Roth will only publish when he has something meaningful to say. "If I have something to say, I’ll say it. If not, I won’t force anything," he explained.
This change will likely result in more conversational, shorter-form updates rather than the exhaustive, long-form investigative pieces the site is known for. However, Roth is quick to emphasize that he is not abandoning his commitment to high-quality, deep-dive content. Rather, he is removing the pressure to "perform" on a clock, which he believes will paradoxically improve the quality of his output.
The "De-design" and Site Evolution
One of the key professional projects slated for this year is the completion of the site’s "de-design." This project, intended to streamline the user experience and return the platform to its roots as a text-based, information-rich resource, has been delayed by his previous work-life imbalances. By prioritizing his own needs, Roth believes he will finally have the mental bandwidth to finalize these technical improvements.
Analysis: Why Selfishness is a Strategy for Service
The most profound realization Roth shares is that his decision to put himself first is not an act of selfishness, but a prerequisite for altruism. He recognizes that by stabilizing his own physical and mental health, he will naturally become a more effective resource for others.
"The truth is, of course, that by putting myself first I’m almost certain to become a better person for others," Roth noted. This is a common, yet difficult, paradox in the field of personal growth: we are only capable of pouring from a full cup. By choosing to fill his own cup in 2023, Roth is banking on the idea that the quality of his professional contribution to his readers will be enhanced, not diminished.
Future Outlook: A Measured Approach
As Roth moves forward, his strategy is characterized by caution and deliberate action. He is currently utilizing exercises from Designing Your Life to structure his days, moving away from reactive "fire-fighting" and toward a proactive, intentional schedule.
The "Year of Me" is not merely a vacation from responsibility; it is an experiment in sustainable living. If Roth’s hypothesis holds true, the readers of Get Rich Slowly should expect a more authentic, energized, and focused voice. While the frequency of posts may fluctuate, the depth and sincerity of the content are likely to deepen as the author aligns his public persona with his private values.
Ultimately, the story of J.D. Roth’s 2023 is a microcosm of a common struggle: the battle between the urgent and the important. By choosing to subordinate his impulses to his core values, he is modeling the very behavior he has advocated for in his readers for years. Whether this shift will result in a permanent change in how independent content creators manage their platforms remains to be seen, but it is clear that for Roth, the path forward is paved with the courage to prioritize his own well-being.
