I think it depends to some degree on the compromises you're ready to accept. I have worked 12 years in academia, got my PhD but then realized it is a lottery to

I think it depends to some degree on the compromises you're ready to accept. I have worked 12 years in academia, got my PhD but then realized it is a lottery to proceed further. Nonetheless, Postdoc positions are still available in Germany and often no one wants those because they are so unreliable. I enjoy my work, produce good science - and for this, I have to ignore deadlines and requirements. I have a small child and I need to stay healthy, if only because I am responsible, for my child, for my research. In the corona situation, I switched to breaking almost all deadlines - what is not possible is not possible. No weekend work. I work from 7am to 2 PM. If that means loosing my job, then that is it. But the outcome was different: I did not loose my job - others quit, because they could not stand the pressure, but I kept healthy and produced stable, ongoing work. Slower than everyone else, but higher quality (this is subjective, of course). I reduced my contract to 75% time (30hrs), which also helped. My compromise: No security for long term employment and no money saved. We do everything by bike, no car, no travels outside the country, no restaurants etc. - really everything cut down to the bare minimum. This is fine and it works for us/me, but a lot of PhDs in our department have higher expectations and I think they are better to pursue their career outside science. Look at how scientists worked a century ago: Their life was often equally precarious, but still their motivations helped them sustain constant progress.