Everyone has to find some life balance at some point. You've spent a lot of years on first getting in trouble and then getting out of it. Here's my thought, th

Everyone has to find some life balance at some point. You've spent a lot of years on first getting in trouble and then getting out of it. Here's my thought, though: you've already become good at rising above the system and asserting some ambition. That is the actual trajectory of your career, not the job title you presently have. So if you take a break, the worst that happens is that you have to start over in building a reputation. In nearly all careers, that is a matter of spotting an emerging industry trend, jumping onto it and converting it into the "first job" again. Trends are generational in nature: a fresh cohort is hired to start working on a problem, they become experts, over time they become entrenched, and then, depending on how fast-moving the industry is, they are forced to exit because conditions have changed. Or they retire at the top. Since programming as a field continues to grow rapidly, the only major issues you'll face are general age discrimination and your own health. The first is unavoidable. But the sabbatical lets you invest in your health and fix any bad habits. It's probably the right time to take one.