Jia Lissa
By [Journalist Name]
After a period of profound personal transition, J.D. Roth, the veteran personal finance writer and founder of the influential blog Get Rich Slowly, has announced a significant shift in his professional and personal trajectory. Two months following the death of his mother, Roth is emerging from a period of grief, declaring 2023 to be his "Year of Me"—a deliberate, values-driven initiative designed to prioritize his physical and mental well-being above the demands of his platform.
This shift marks a departure from his long-standing commitment to rigid content schedules, signaling a broader movement toward a more sustainable, intentional, and balanced approach to life and work.
The Chronology of a Shift
The decision to pivot did not occur in a vacuum. For Roth, the final months of 2022 were characterized by a period of necessary withdrawal and introspective "soul-searching."
- Late 2022: Following the passing of his mother, Roth stepped back from his usual output, allowing the "fog" of grief to dictate his pace. During this time, he ceased regular professional obligations to process the loss.
- November 2022: During a road trip to California to visit family, Roth and his partner, Kim, engaged with Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga’s The Courage to Be Disliked. The psychological principles contained within the book acted as a catalyst for his new philosophy.
- December 2022: Roth began taking tangible steps to remove digital distractions, including the removal of addictive applications like Reddit and Hearthstone from his personal devices.
- January 2023: The formal commencement of his "Year of Me," signaling a permanent change in how he manages his time and his relationship with his readership.
The Philosophy of Self-Prioritization
At the heart of this transition is a concept that often faces scrutiny: the "Year of Me." For many, the phrase suggests selfishness, but Roth argues that it is, in fact, a prerequisite for sustained service to others.
The Return of Theming
Over a decade ago, Roth gained notoriety for "theming" his months and years—a technique where he would devote a specific timeframe to a single, focused improvement, such as fitness, writing, or personal habits. After abandoning this practice for several years, he is reviving it, albeit with a broader, more existential focus.
"I’ve spent too long putting myself second," Roth notes. "Starting now, my aim is to put myself first for the next year—or more."
The Influence of Adlerian Psychology
Roth’s perspective has been heavily influenced by the work of Alfred Adler, as popularized in The Courage to Be Disliked. The book argues that many of our personal struggles are not determined by past trauma, but by the goals we set for ourselves in the present. By embracing the "courage to be disliked," one can liberate themselves from the expectations of others and live a more authentic life. For Roth, this means shedding the pressure to maintain a relentless publishing cadence that has historically defined the blogging industry.
Supporting Data: The Case for a Proactive Life
Roth’s decision to reclaim his time is underpinned by a shift from reactive behavior to proactive living. Drawing on Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Roth cites the importance of "subordinating an impulse to a value."
The Psychology of Impulse Control
In modern digital environments, creators are often at the mercy of their environments. Notifications, social media engagement, and the constant need for content updates create a "reactive" cycle. By deleting non-essential apps and prioritizing his internal values over external output demands, Roth is testing the hypothesis that productivity is not a measure of how much one produces, but rather how well one aligns their actions with their core principles.
The "Designing Your Life" Framework
Roth has been utilizing the Designing Your Life methodology—a curriculum developed at Stanford University—to audit his priorities. The framework encourages individuals to "prototype" their lives through small, low-stakes experiments. By treating his blog as a space for these experiments rather than a rigid commitment, he intends to avoid the burnout that frequently plagues independent creators.
Implications for the Industry
The shift in Get Rich Slowly has significant implications for both the creator economy and the audience.
A New Model for Independent Media
For years, the standard advice for bloggers and influencers has been "consistency is key." Algorithms favor frequent, predictable content. Roth is explicitly challenging this. By opting out of a publishing schedule, he is testing a model where quality and authenticity—rooted in the author’s current state of mind—take precedence over search engine optimization (SEO) and subscriber retention strategies.
Impact on the Readership
While some might fear that this "Year of Me" signals the decline of the site, Roth suggests the opposite. By focusing on his own well-being, he believes he will produce more insightful, higher-quality content. "By putting myself first, I’m almost certain to become a better person for others—including you," he writes. The audience can expect a more conversational, organic tone, as Roth intends to share his journey, his learnings from books, and his progress in "de-designing" his life.
Official Stance and Future Outlook
When asked about the future of Get Rich Slowly, Roth remains firm in his commitment to the platform, albeit on his own terms. He has clarified that he is not "giving up" on long-form, deep-dive content, but rather removing the forced pressure to produce it.
Key Takeaways for the Audience:
- Flexibility: Readers should anticipate a non-linear posting schedule. If there is something of value to say, it will be said.
- Depth over Frequency: Future content will likely be split into smaller, more focused segments, reflecting the "Year of Me" philosophy.
- Transparency: Roth intends to keep the community updated on his progress, specifically regarding his re-reading of foundational texts like The Courage to Be Disliked.
Final Reflections
The narrative arc of J.D. Roth’s professional life has always been one of evolution. From a personal finance expert to a life-design advocate, he has consistently mirrored the needs of his own journey in the content he provides.
As he enters this next phase, the message to his audience is clear: true wealth is not merely found in bank accounts or investment portfolios, but in the ability to align one’s daily life with their deepest values. In prioritizing himself, Roth is not abandoning his readers—he is simply inviting them to witness what happens when an individual finally grants themselves the permission to pursue their own well-being with the same intensity they once applied to their professional work.
As he succinctly puts it, "Let the age of selfishness commence!"—a phrase that, in this context, serves not as an act of exclusion, but as an invitation to a more authentic, sustainable way of living.
Muslim
Lina Hope
