I have also taken a 12 month break and I share your perspective. During my year off, I took amazing leaps forward on understanding myself and how to get more of what I value in life. I’ve been back to work for about 7 years now and my growth over that time is a small fraction of back when I could invest all my energy back into myself.

A net worth value can go up or down, money can inflate, markets can crash, life events can wipe away savings, but I was able to store some value that is beyond money and it keeps paying a dividend.