Navigating Wonderhell: Laura Gassner Otting Explains Why Success Doesnt Always Feel Good

Success is supposed to feel great — so why does it often feel overwhelming instead? Thats the question career expert and bestselling author Laura Gassner Otting explores in her book, “Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn’t Feel Like It Should . . . and What to Do About It.”

According to Gassner Otting, the discomfort of success stems from realizing your potential and the vast opportunities ahead. Its an exhilarating but daunting feeling, a mix of wonder and hell — or as she calls it, “Wonderhell.”

To better understand this paradox, Gassner Otting interviewed more than 100 high achievers and glass ceiling shatterers, including Olympic athletes, startup unicorns, and industry leaders, uncovering the common struggles of impostor syndrome, doubt, burnout, and the pressure to keep pushing forward.

Using the metaphor of an amusement park, Gassner Otting presents three “towns” where ambitious people often find themselves navigating the Wonderhell experience: Impostortown, where you can learn to embrace your ambition; Doubts Ville, where you can learn to renegotiate your response; and Burnout City, where you can learn to do it all over again.

Each town has amusement park booths and games that offer practical strategies to redefine success on your own terms and manage the mental toll that comes with achievement.

In Impostortown, for example, the Fortune Teller has lessons for making your own luck, the Haunted House teaches you to let go of your demons, and the Hall of Mirrors helps you figure out who you are.

In Doubts Ville, the Roller Coaster teaches you how to manage uncertainty, the Trapeze is all about flying without a net, and the Tunnel of Love offers lessons on going farther together.

In Burnout City, Bumper Cars offers lessons on quieting perfectionist tendencies, Whack-A-Mole is about focusing on what matters, the Gravitron teaches you to stand tall when the floor drops out, and the Loop-de-Loop reminds you to adopt a beginner’s mindset.

“Lucky for you — Laura Gassner Otting is here with her highly anticipated new book,” says Mel Robbins, New York Times bestselling author of “The 5 Second Rule.” “Shell teach you how to navigate the Wonderhell of achieving your dreams and the success you deserve.”

Gassner Otting, a Good Morning America and Oprah Daily contributor, is also the author of “Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life.” Her TEDx talk, which inspired “Wonderhell,” has nearly 2 million views.

For anyone struggling with the emotional weight of success, “Wonderhell” provides actionable advice to embrace the discomfort, keep growing, and find fulfillment beyond traditional definitions of success.