What's Going Right: A Powerful New Method for Optimizing Your Mental Health

by Paul Conti

Based on the wildly popular four-part series on Andrew Huberman’s podcast, this affirming book from world-renowned and celebrity-endorsed psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Conti, offers a paradigm-shifting approach to optimizing mental health -- offering readers a proven way towards a joyful life.

More than one in five US adults are living with a mental illness. Since 2010, adults ages eighteen to twenty-five have experienced a 139 percent increase in anxiety. For all of the increasing and well-intended mental health resources at our immediate disposal, we could easily ask where we are going wrong. Yet, Dr. Paul Conti wants to know, “what's going right?”
 
Backed by celebrities and esteemed colleagues such as Lady GaGa, Peter Attia, and Kim Kardashian, Dr. Conti poses that the best place to start addressing our mental health isn’t in focusing on what’s going wrong, but rather what’s going right. And the key to embracing this new narrative is tapping into our often ignored and long over-looked generative drive, the primary factor that’s already going right in each of us. The generative drive helps you get things done, solve problems creatively, help others and feel connected to something larger than yourself. When activated, it brings you peace, contentment, and delight.

With Dr. Conti’s notorious straightforward sincerity, he shares the exact method he uses on his patients and celebrity clients to help them tap into their generative drives
  The 5 Part Structure of When you alter your structure you alter its function Cultivating a daily self-inquiry practice Learning compassionate curiosity Progressive muscle relaxation Rewiring Life Narratives
What’s Going Right offers readers a proven offramp from the toxic pursuits that keep them stuck and an onramp toward a joyful life. 

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Health, Psychology

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Lisa Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m digging the books I’ve been reading lately about how to live a good and meaningful life; instead of addressing negative things, they’re helping you focus on what you can do to build meaning. That said, I think I liked a couple recent reads a little better than this one (How to Live a Meaningful Life & Why We Suffer and How We Heal). This book is about what drives you. The author says that we all have an assertive drive, a pleasure drive and a generative drive. The assertive & pleasure drives need to be balanced - a lot of unhappiness comes from imbalance in these drives. But the most important is the generative drive, where more is always better. I’ve been hearing more & more lately about the generative drive, so if that’s a particular interest to you, you’ll like this book. The other thing I did really love about this book are the appendixes. Embedded in the chapters, Conti asks questions, and then there’s an appendix for each chapter that lists all the questions in one place. Great idea!

[Mikala]

Thank you to NetGalley, Balance/Grand Central Publishing, and Dr. Paul Conti for the advance copy of this book.

As someone who is generally a happy, optimistic person (it’s easier if you avoid the news, honestly), I really appreciated the central reframing of this book: instead of endlessly dissecting what’s wrong, it asks you to notice and build on what’s already going right. Depending on your perspective, that can feel a bit repetitive or reinforcing, but for me it landed in a comforting, steady way rather than a shallow “just think positive” spin.

What stood out most were the questions and the low‑pressure, guided reflection exercises. They’re simple without being simplistic, and they invite genuine self‑inquiry rather than demanding that you overhaul your entire life overnight. The mix of gentle structure and independent self‑reflection made this one of the more practically helpful self‑help books I’ve read in a while.

If you’re looking for a clinical deep dive or something radically new, this may not be the book for you. But if you’re interested in a grounded, hopeful approach that helps you notice your existing strengths and lean into them with more intention, this is a thoughtful and encouraging place to start.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a refreshing read. Instead of constantly focusing on what’s wrong with our mental health (which can feel exhausting), this book flips the script and asks what’s already going right instead.

I really liked how straightforward and approachable Dr. Conti is. He introduces the idea of our “generative drive”, which is basically the part of us that wants to grow, help others, problem solve, and feel connected, and shows how tapping into that can bring more peace and contentment into daily life. Nothing felt overly clinical or preachy.

The tools he shares, like self-inquiry, compassionate curiosity, relaxing the body, and reframing life stories, felt practical and doable rather than overwhelming. This book felt more like a supportive guide than a lecture.

I felt like this is a hopeful, grounding read that reminds us that healing doesn’t always start with fixing ourselves, but sometimes it starts with recognizing the good that’s already there.

Thank you to NetGalley, Paul Conti, and Balance for the eARC of this book.

[Jessica Ashe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of What’s Going Right by Paul Conti in exchange for an honest review.

This was a thoughtful and insightful read that I genuinely enjoyed. Dr. Conti explores the concept of “generative drive” in a way that feels both accessible and meaningful, encouraging readers to look inward through deep self-reflection. His message centers on the idea that by better understanding ourselves—our motivations, patterns, and emotional responses—we can not only improve our own lives, but also positively impact the world around us.

At times, the pacing felt a bit dense, which is what led me to settle at a 3.5-star rating rather than higher. However, the core message is powerful and worth sitting with. It’s the kind of book that invites you to slow down, reflect, and perhaps even revisit certain passages.

Overall, this is a valuable read for anyone interested in personal growth, emotional awareness, and the broader impact of individual well-being on society.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Audiobook read by Seth Podowitz. DIY mental health. Focus on assertive, pleasure, and generative drives, with many other aspects of mental health as well. Paraphrased from the book: “The generative drive is considered intrinsic to humans, existing alongside other drives such as the aggressive drive, which relates to empowerment and the enactment of agency, and the pleasure drive, which is about seeking gratification and relief.” Listening to the material was worthwhile but I would like to get the book and work through the exercises.

[Michaela Rosensky · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's Going Right is a well written, encouraging book that walks through the stories of others, allowing you to learn from their experiences to apply to your own life. As humans, we often think about what's going wrong. Turning this perspective to what's going right allows us to see all the good in our lives and how to lean into them to continue to grow your strengths. This strategy gets you out of your head onto a path that probells you forward towards your personal goals.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's Going Right by Paul Conti. A mental health book that focuses on what is going right instead of what is wrong. An enlightening and encouraging read that has the reader looking into the skillsets they already have and ways to use them.
Thank you to the author, Grand Central Publishing - Balance and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was sensible, but not boring, had good case studies, but not too many and also had reflective elements and tips. It’s a book about slow progress and whole transformation rather than a quick fix and I think this is why I enjoyed it so much. Thanks to NetGalley and Balance for the ATC.

[Jamie]

Advanced copy

[Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit short, nothing too revolutionary, good advice nonetheless.

[Dr. Jen Haden · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ginger Hudock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book written by a psychiatrist to those who may be having mental health issues. It could be considered as a self-help guide, but also useful alongside treatment. The author's thesis is "the best place to start addressing our mental health isn't in focusing on what's going wrong, but what's going right". The first part of the book will allow the reader to start to analyze themselves by asking three questions: what am I doing?; what am I thinking?; and what's driving you?. Once they have some answers to these questions, then the author gives ideas on how to make improvements in their life. I particularly liked the section where he encourages the reader to understand their generative drive. This has to do with pro-social altruism, have a joy of learning new things, making art and appreciating beauty and desiring to leave the world a better place. This was a thought-provoking book and could be helpful for many.
I received a complementary copy from the publisher via NetGalley.