What do we lose in the pursuit of success? These are the things we most often sacrifice for our careers

Does professional success really have to mean sacrificing your personal life? The latest report, "How to Work Without Regrets?" looks deep into the hearts of Generation X, Y, and Z employees, revealing what we really lose in the pursuit of career.

Is it worth sacrificing your health, time with your loved ones and your own dreams for work? The latest report by job portals RocketJobs.pl and JustJoin.it - ​​" How to work without regrets? Generations X, Y and Z on adapting to work" sheds new light on this dilemma.

In a study of 1,500 office workers from different generations, experts looked at what we lose to our careers – and who regrets it the most. The conclusion? Work still means a lot, but increasingly, not everything.

Businessman, man in suit/ Unsplash, Hunters Race

The report shows that as many as 34 percent of respondents sacrificed at least one important aspect of their private lives for the sake of work.

Most often we give up:

• passion (53 percent)
• mental balance (47 percent)
• social life (38 percent)

Matters of the heart and health are not left untouched either – 35% indicated that their relationship with their partner or physical health suffered because of their professional ambitions. Interestingly, as many as 25% of respondents completely abandoned their original professional dreams, choosing to work "for safety".

Millennials (Generation Y) are dominated by the narrative of sacrifice: they are the ones who most often declare that their career has affected their health (40%) and social relationships (44%).

Generation X , being more experienced, regrets in particular the loss of health (72%) and neglecting personal development.

And Generation Z? Young adults aged 19–27 have a more balanced approach . Aware of the price of success, they set boundaries – and don’t want to cross them. Instead of climbing the corporate ladder at all costs, they focus on passions, balance and offline life.

Gender also matters. Women are more likely than men to talk about losing their mental balance (52% vs. 42%), while men are more likely to give up their passions and hobbies (55%). However, both agree that they had to give something up. The biggest regret? The time they didn't spend with their children - as many as 66% of respondents indicated. Childhood is irretrievable. It's no wonder that many parents ask themselves after many years: was it worth it?

Although the numbers sound serious, this does not mean that we are doomed to regret. The report highlights positive changes: more and more employers are implementing hybrid and asynchronous work models , enabling a real reconciliation of private and professional life. There is also a growing awareness of what it really means to be fit for work - not only competences, but also values, rhythm of life and psychological needs.