After a period of profound personal upheaval, the founder of the influential personal finance platform Get Rich Slowly, J.D. Roth, has announced a significant shift in his approach to both his professional output and his personal well-being. Following the death of his mother two months ago—a loss that left him navigating a period of emotional fog—Roth is pivoting toward a philosophy of self-prioritization. This transition, which he has dubbed "The Year of Me," represents a conscious effort to realign his daily habits with his core values, moving away from reactive impulses and toward proactive, intentional living.
The Chronology of a Personal Pivot
The path to this decision was neither sudden nor simplistic. It follows a decade-long history of personal development experimentation. Years ago, Roth was a proponent of "theming" his time—a productivity method where specific periods are dedicated to singular goals, such as physical fitness, writing, or relationship-building. While these experiments yielded measurable success, the practice eventually faded.
The catalyst for his current re-evaluation was a confluence of grief and reflection. Following his mother’s passing, Roth spent several weeks in deep introspection. This period of soul-searching, supported by conversations with his partner, Kim, led to a realization: he had spent too long relegated to the background of his own life.
“I’ve been allowing other things to interfere with my pursuit of physical and mental health for too long,” Roth noted in a recent update to his readers. “I’ve been making excuses. No more! For the foreseeable future, J.D. is job one.”
This transition also involved a physical journey. During a Thanksgiving trip to California, the couple engaged with literature that fundamentally altered their perspective on personal accountability. By integrating the concepts found in The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, alongside exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evans’ Designing Your Life, Roth began to codify his transition from a state of mourning to one of deliberate, values-driven action.
Theoretical Frameworks: The Courage to Be Disliked
A central pillar of Roth’s new trajectory is the adoption of Adlerian psychology, specifically the principles popularized by the book The Courage to Be Disliked. The text, which explores the theories of Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler, posits that individuals are not determined by their past experiences but rather by the meanings they ascribe to them.
For many, the idea of "putting oneself first" carries a stigma of selfishness. However, the Adlerian framework suggests that this is a misconception. By achieving psychological health and personal clarity, an individual is better equipped to contribute to the community. Roth acknowledges this irony: “The truth is, of course, that by putting myself first, I’m almost certain to become a better person for others—including you.”
The book, written in a Socratic dialogue format, serves as a manual for removing the "interpersonal tasks" that cause unnecessary stress. By decoupling his self-worth from the expectations of others, Roth aims to eliminate the social anxiety and professional pressure that often accompany long-term content creation. This shift is not about abandoning his audience; it is about changing the nature of the interaction from one of performative production to one of authentic expression.
Supporting Data and Philosophical Foundations
Roth’s commitment to this new phase is grounded in the "proactive" philosophy defined by Stephen R. Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey distinguishes between reactive people—those driven by external circumstances and fleeting emotions—and proactive people, who are driven by carefully selected values.
In support of this, Roth has already begun "pruning" his environment to reduce the friction between his impulses and his values. This has included the removal of digital distractions like the game Hearthstone and the social platform Reddit from his devices. These small, tactical changes serve as the foundation for broader lifestyle adjustments.
The data supporting this kind of "life design" is rooted in the success of the Designing Your Life methodology, which emphasizes iterative prototyping. Just as one might test a new product, Roth is treating 2023 as a series of experiments. He is moving away from rigid, forced publishing schedules to a model where content is generated only when there is genuine substance to share. This is a move toward quality over quantity, a hallmark of sustainable long-term creation.
Implications for the Digital Ecosystem
The implications of Roth’s decision extend beyond his own well-being and into the mechanics of digital publishing. In an era where creators are pressured to maintain a constant "content treadmill," Roth’s move to decouple his work from a production schedule is a radical act of autonomy.
1. The Impact on Content Quality
By removing the obligation to publish on a fixed cadence, Roth anticipates that his articles will become more conversational, reflective, and substantive. He suggests that the "Year of Me" may actually result in more, not less, material, as he allows himself the freedom to document his ongoing experiments and lessons learned.
2. Redefining the Reader-Creator Relationship
There is a common anxiety among digital creators that "going silent" or "putting oneself first" will result in a loss of readership. However, Roth argues that a creator’s primary value to their audience is their authenticity. By modeling a life of intentionality and boundaries, he hopes to provide his readers with a blueprint for doing the same in their own lives.
3. The "De-Design" of Digital Spaces
Part of Roth’s initiative includes a "site de-design" project for Get Rich Slowly. This reflects a broader trend in the tech and blogging space: the move toward minimalism. By stripping away the unnecessary, the user experience becomes more focused, mirroring the internal focus he is cultivating in his personal life.
Official Stance: A Call to Action for the Proactive
Roth’s stance is clear: the "Year of Me" is not an act of isolation, but an act of restoration. He acknowledges that the transition from a reactive state to a value-driven state is difficult. It requires the courage to say "no" to impulses and "yes" to long-term goals.
"I’ve somehow lost the ability to control my impulses while simultaneously forgetting about my core values," Roth admitted. "Time to flip the script!"
For his readers, the message is one of encouragement. Roth is not asking his audience to abandon their own responsibilities, but rather to examine whether their current "reactive" state is serving their long-term interests. By choosing to prioritize physical and mental health, he believes he is creating a more sustainable foundation for his work, his relationships, and his legacy.
Moving Forward: What to Expect
As 2023 progresses, readers of Get Rich Slowly should expect a departure from the conventional format of the past. The articles will likely become more modular, reflecting the specific exercises and realizations Roth uncovers during his self-study. He has explicitly stated that he will not force content. Instead, the blog will serve as a living record of his pursuit of a values-driven life.
Ultimately, this is a story about the resilience of the individual. In the wake of significant personal loss, J.D. Roth is demonstrating that the most productive path forward is not always to "work harder" or "produce more," but to pause, re-evaluate, and ensure that every action taken is in alignment with one’s fundamental principles. Whether this "Year of Me" leads to a complete transformation or simply a more balanced life, it provides a compelling case study for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the relentless pace of the modern world.
