The Radical Pivot: Why J.D. Roth is Declaring 2023 the "Year of Me"

In a candid announcement that marks a significant departure from his long-standing editorial rhythm, J.D. Roth, the founder of the influential personal finance platform Get Rich Slowly, has declared 2023 to be his "Year of Me." This personal mandate follows a period of profound mourning and intense introspection, signaling a shift from a reactive, output-driven professional existence toward a values-based, intentional life.

For his readership—a community accustomed to structured, high-utility financial content—the announcement brings a shift in the site’s cadence. While the blog will continue to operate, Roth is abandoning strict production schedules in favor of a more authentic, spontaneous approach to content creation.

The Catalyst: Navigating Grief and the Search for Equilibrium

The motivation for this shift stems from the difficult period following the death of his mother two months ago. Roth describes the aftermath of this loss as a period of "fog," during which the professional pressures of maintaining his platform became secondary to the demands of mourning and emotional recovery.

A Chronology of Change

Late 2022: The passing of Roth’s mother initiates a period of deep reflection and a temporary decline in creative momentum.
Thanksgiving 2022: A road trip to California serves as a turning point, where intellectual engagement with literature and conversation with his partner, Kim, highlights the necessity of change.
December 2022: Roth begins the process of purging digital distractions—specifically removing time-sink applications like Reddit and Hearthstone—as a first step toward regaining agency.
January 2023: The official launch of the "Year of Me" initiative, focusing on reclaiming personal health and mental well-being as the primary professional objective.

Philosophical Foundations: Adler and the Art of Agency

A significant driver of this shift is the influence of Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga’s The Courage to Be Disliked. The book, which introduces readers to the psychology of Alfred Adler, has become a cornerstone for Roth’s new perspective.

Adlerian psychology emphasizes that individuals are not determined by their past, but rather by the goals they set for their future. The text challenges the reader to overcome the "interpersonal relationships" that often lead to people-pleasing at the expense of personal growth. For Roth, the core takeaway is that the pursuit of personal health is not an act of selfishness, but a necessary prerequisite for being a better person for others.

Key Psychological Shifts:

Breaking the Cycle of Reactivity: Transitioning from an environment where external demands dictate actions to one governed by internal, chosen values.
Redefining Selfishness: Accepting that prioritizing one’s own mental and physical health is an act of responsibility rather than vanity.
The Socratic Approach: Engaging with difficult texts—not for passive consumption, but as a tool for systematic re-evaluation of life goals.

Supporting Data: The Impact of "Theming" on Productivity

Roth’s decision to theme his year is not a new experiment. A decade ago, he successfully utilized time-blocking and theming to improve specific areas of his life, including physical fitness, writing, and social health.

Data from his own past experiences suggests that thematic focus yields higher success rates than broad, un-channeled goals. By dedicating a specific "span of time" to a single objective, he found that he could bypass the decision fatigue that often accompanies goal setting. By returning to this practice, he is effectively attempting to "re-program" his current daily routine to favor focused, deep work over the fragmented, distracted behavior that has plagued his recent months.

Implications for the "Get Rich Slowly" Community

Perhaps the most significant question for his audience is what this shift means for the future of the Get Rich Slowly brand. Roth is clear: he is not abandoning his readers, but he is fundamentally changing his relationship with the platform.

The New Editorial Policy

No Fixed Schedule: Readers should expect a departure from consistent, high-frequency posting. Roth will publish when he has something meaningful to say, rather than forcing content to satisfy an algorithm or a quota.
Increased Authenticity: The content will likely become more conversational and personal. Roth intends to move away from strictly instructional articles toward more reflective, essay-style pieces.
The "De-design" Goal: Beyond personal growth, Roth is using this period to finally complete the long-overdue "de-design" of his website, prioritizing simplicity and functionality over complex, bloated layouts.

Expert Analysis: The Value of Proactivity

The pivot aligns closely with the principles outlined by Stephen R. Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As Roth noted in a recent update, "The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of a proactive person."

By removing digital barriers, Roth is effectively "cleaning house" to make room for his values. He acknowledges that his recent professional life had become reactive, driven by the environment rather than internal intent. The implication of his "Year of Me" is a return to form—a commitment to ensuring that his output as a writer is the result of deep, thoughtful engagement rather than the result of an impulse to keep a website updated.

Official Stance and Future Outlook

When asked about the potential for being "disliked" due to his change in content cadence, Roth remains resolute. Drawing from his engagement with Adlerian philosophy, he posits that the fear of being disliked is a barrier to true self-actualization.

"I’m giving myself permission to put my needs and desires ahead of everything else for 2023," Roth stated. He argues that this will ultimately result in better content. By removing the pressure to produce on a schedule, he intends to restore the quality and depth that originally made Get Rich Slowly a cornerstone of personal finance literature.

As he prepares to re-read and synthesize his current library of self-improvement literature, the goal is clear: to move away from the noise of the digital age and toward a lifestyle that is measured, deliberate, and entirely his own. For his readers, the "Year of Me" offers a unique window into the process of personal reclamation—a lesson in setting boundaries that may prove as valuable as any financial advice the site has ever provided.

As the year progresses, the community will be watching to see how this internal shift manifests in the external world of his writing. Whether or not his experiment succeeds, the commitment to transparency regarding his own struggle to prioritize the self serves as a compelling case study in professional and personal recalibration.