India, June 12 -- A high-paying tech career in New York is often seen as a dream job. But for 29-year-old Michelle Yeung, the reality eventually felt hollow despite the impressive paycheck. After earning nearly $250,000 a year as a software engineer, she decided to walk away from stability and start over with a matcha cafe in Manhattan.

According to CNBC Make It, Yeung said that even though her salary allowed her to live comfortably, she began feeling increasingly disconnected from her work. "It felt like fake work," she said. "What am I really doing this for?" That sense of detachment slowly pushed her to rethink what she wanted from her career and life.

Yeung's early career in tech brought rapid financial growth. She started with a co...