How to Accomplish A Lot When You Don't Have Everything You Need

Summary

Podcast Summary: Help Wanted — "How to Accomplish A Lot When You Don't Have Everything You Need" (April 2, 2026)

Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode, hosted by Entrepreneur editor-in-chief Jason Pfeiffer and money expert Nicole Lapin, centers on a universal challenge: Achieving meaningful, impactful work despite not having all the resources you think you need. The conversation aims to reframe resource scarcity as a strength, emphasizing practical strategies and a mindset shift for maximizing what you do have, rather than lamenting what you lack. The discussion is anchored by both personal anecdotes and a standout lesson from actor-entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds about making blockbuster magic on a modest budget.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scarcity Mindset — And Why It’s a Trap (04:12 – 06:43)

• Jason introduces his mantra:
  “I will do the best work with the resources available.”

  • This phrase is intended as an honest, no-nonsense antidote to the feeling of never having enough—time, money, connections, or expertise.
  • Jason highlights how constantly comparing yourself to an imagined, more resourced version of yourself only leads to frustration and demoralization.

  "You are comparing yourself to an imaginary version of yourself. You're making your accomplishments feel smaller because they do not match up against a fantasy where you have everything you want."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [08:15]

2. The Ryan Reynolds "Deadpool" Lesson (06:01 – 06:43)

• Reynolds recounts how budget restrictions on Deadpool led to creativity:

  • Every time the budget was cut, they focused on strengthening character interactions instead of relying on expensive effects or set pieces.

  "Every time the studio took money away from our budget, we replaced whatever set piece we just lost with character. And then eventually that became the hallmark and defining characteristic of that property... You could penetrate the zeitgeist and make an impression without spending a ton of money, without busting the bank."
  — Ryan Reynolds [06:01]

• Jason’s takeaway:

  • When resources are abundant, they're often not used meaningfully.
  • Scarcity forces selectivity and encourages you to focus on what will actually make a meaningful difference.

3. Take Stock of Your Actual Resources (09:45 – 11:00)

• Jason advises listeners to make a list of what resources they do have.

  • Example for his newsletter:
    1. Good writing skill
    2. Access to smart people
    3. Flexible schedule
    4. A lot of energy

  "It’s good to see them on paper. List them out... These are resources that are available to me."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [10:20]

• Next step: Figure out how to maximize those resources intentionally rather than dwelling on what’s absent.

4. Practical Maximization Strategies (11:00 – 12:30)

• Jason demonstrates using his resources:

  • Leverage writing ability to stand out.
  • Interview smart people for strategies/content.
  • Use a flexible schedule to grow his audience, e.g., sharing daily on LinkedIn.
  • Use energy to engage with every reader personally.

  "Does this mean I will gain 100,000 new subscribers every month? No, it doesn't. I must live with the fact that my growth is slower than some others. But whatever. I cannot get lost in outcomes, I cannot control."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [12:30]

5. Real-World Applications (12:40 – 13:40)

• Side gig struggles: Focus on maximizing the little time you do have rather than mourning an ideal where you have more.

• Relationships: Accent the strengths and work on weak areas, instead of comparing to an unattainable fantasy.

• Career regrets: Use current experiences and skills to build a better future, rather than wishing for a different past.

  "Is it worth obsessing over how far along you'd be if you had more time for that side gig? Or is it worth focusing on how to make the most of the time that you have?"
  — Jason Pfeiffer [13:00]

6. Final Call to Action (14:20 – End)

• Let go of “what ifs” and regrets. Focus on what’s real and within your control.

• Do you want to get it done? Then build from where you are, not where you wish you could be.

  "If the answer is yes, then what ifs and regrets and feelings of inadequacy will not get you there. Here is what will: It’s what you have, what you already have, what you can build from and towards..."
  — Jason Pfeiffer [14:30]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I will do the best work with the resources available." – Jason Pfeiffer’s central mantra [04:30, 08:00, and 09:45]
• "Every time the studio took money away from our budget, we replaced whatever set piece we just lost with character." – Ryan Reynolds on creativity from constraint [06:01]
• "If you're too focused on what you don't have, you will never be able to maximize what you do have." – Jason Pfeiffer [08:50]
• "I cannot get lost in outcomes I cannot control. You cannot get lost in outcomes you cannot control." – Jason Pfeiffer [12:50]

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Important Timestamps

• 04:00 – 04:12: Introduction of the episode theme by Jason and Nicole.
• 06:01 – 06:43: Ryan Reynolds recounts the lessons learned from budget constraints on Deadpool.
• 09:45 – 11:00: Jason illustrates his personal resource list and encourages listeners to do the same.
• 12:40 – 13:40: Practical application examples for crafting a better mindset around limited resources.
• 14:20 – 15:00: Jason’s closing challenge—focus on what you have and take meaningful action.

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Episode Takeaway

This episode delivers a practical, mindset-shifting approach for anyone feeling stretched, stuck, or inadequately resourced in their work or personal life. By embracing constraints not as limits but as tools for creative focus and meaningful progress, listeners are encouraged to stop chasing fantasy scenarios and instead maximize the gifts, assets, and opportunities already at hand. Whether you’re bootstrapping a business, building a personal brand, or pursuing a passion project, your capacity to accomplish “a lot” comes not from having everything, but from making the most of what’s available, right now.

Transcript

[Nicole Lapin]

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[Jason Pfeiffer]

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[Nicole Lapin]

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[Nicole Lapin]

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[Jason Pfeiffer]

This is Help Wanted, the show that tackles all the big work questions you cannot ask anyone else. I'm Jason Pfeiffer, editor in chief of

[Nicole Lapin]

Entrepreneur Magazine, and I'm New York Times bestselling author and money expert Nicole Lapin.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

The helpline is open. You are working very hard. I feel safe assuming that. I mean, if you listen to this show, it's because you care about what you do or you want to find work that you love more. Anyway, I'm sure you're throwing a lot at it. You're throwing yourself into it. But it's not enough, is it? It doesn't feel like enough. It never feels like enough. The result isn't as good or big or fast as you want and you are stressed and frustrated and demoralized. Now stop for a moment, will you? And please repeat this phrase after me. I will do the best work with the resources available. I will do the best work with the resources available. What is that? That is my mantra. It is not sexy. It does not make for a great motivational poster. But it is true and honest and I remind myself of it often. And I want you to have these words whenever you need them. Today. I'm going to tell you why, and I'm going to tell you how they can help you too. But before we get there related, let's hear from a guy who you would think has everything. His name is Ryan Reynolds. Ryan Reynolds. We know Ryan Reynolds. Ryan Reynolds, Actor, entrepreneur. When Ryan Reynolds was shooting Deadpool, this movie that was an enormous smash hit, the studio, they did not predict an enormous smash hit. They predicted a flop. And they kept shrinking the movie's budget. At first this was very frustrating for Ryan and his team, but then it forced him to think more creatively, and Ryan realized something important. Here is what he told me in an interview that I did with him for Entrepreneur magazine.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And every time the studio took money away from our budget, we replaced whatever set piece we just lost with character. And then eventually that became the hallmark and defining characteristic of that property was people. People don't remember, you know, the, you know, saving the world kind of nonsense. They remember the motor mouse. They remember what he said or how he reacted to a moment, as opposed to, you know, a car chase or, you know, a huge set piece, you know, in an aircraft carrier, It's. It becomes much more about characters. So like that. That, to me, is a lesson that is worth its weight in gold because you could penetrate the zeitgeist and make an impression without spending a ton of money, without busting the bank.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

In other words, when you have endless resources, you don't use them meaningfully. You stop thinking about how to matter. You just start thinking about how to go big. And in Hollywood, that means that people are having aliens blow things up. And for everything else, maybe it means that we have a lot of time and so we sort of dawdle or we have a lot of resources, and so we just kind of start randomly experimenting or throwing things at it. But now, when you have limited resources, when you have limited money, limited time, limited everything, that is when you think carefully about how to best spend those resources. Which brings me back to my mantra. I will remind you of it again. I will do the best work with the resources available. Let's zero in on that second part, shall we? With the resources available. This is where the power really lies. Because in all the work we do, we must accept a terrible, terrible truth. I am sorry to tell you this, but it is true and terrible and it is this. You don't have all the resources. You don't. You do not have enough time to get everything done. You do not have enough money or connections to make things easier. You do not have enough know how to skip ahead in the journey. You do not accept it. You do not have those resources, and yet you long for them. I long for them. We imagine life with them. We think, here's how far along I'd be if only I had more. But do you see what we're doing here? We are comparing ourselves to an imaginary version of ourselves. You. You are comparing yourself to an imaginary version of yourself. You're making your accomplishments feel smaller because they do not match up against a fantasy where you have everything you want. And that's not fair. It's not fair to you. But also, it overlooks something incredibly important, which is that you may not have all the resources, but. But you don't have nothing either. You know what you have? Are you ready for it? You have the resources available. What are those? They're whatever you have. Whatever you have. Time, money, skills, connections, knowledge, anything. You have some of that in some quantity. I know you do. And you can do a lot with them. But if you're too focused on what you don't have, you will never be able to maximize what you do have. I mean, I will use my newsletter as an example. I write this newsletter. It's called One Thing Better. This essay that I'm reading to you is actually originally from that newsletter. You can find it at One Thing Better Email. That's a web address One Thing Better Email. And it's a companion to Help Wanted, this podcast. So I'm often reading them on this podcast as well. Anyway, point is, I love that newsletter. I pour so much energy into that newsletter every single week. I am very proud of it. But, boy, it frustrates me. Why? Because although it is growing, I know people with much larger newsletters, and sometimes I think things like my newsletter would be so much bigger if only I had what they have, which is more time to write and more expertise and more money to hire a growth expert or whatever. Anyway, if I spend too much time on this path, I lose focus on what I actually have. So let's refocus right now, you and me, we are going to refocus on what we have. We're going to ask ourselves this important question. What exactly are my resources? It's good to see them on paper. List them out. I mean, here's a starter list for me and my newsletter. I'll offer four. Number one, I'm a good writer. Number two, I have access to smart people. Number three, I have a flexible schedule. Number four, I have a lot of energy. These are resources. These are resources that are available to me. So, all right, good. Next question. How can I do my best work with those resources, how can I do my best work with the resources? I literally just listed out the ones that I actually have. Well, you know, I think that what you need to do next here is take the resources that you listed out and identify the best ways to maximize them. You can use them. You can maximize them. I'll do it for myself. So I listed four. So here's how to make the most of them. I said, I'm a good writer. So good. That means that I can stand out in a cluttered marketplace of newsletters. I said, I have access to smart people, so I can interview people who write great newsletters and ask for their strategies. I can also interview interesting people like Ryan Reynolds and reference them and take their best lessons and all that stuff. Anyway, number three, I have a flexible schedule. That's a good resource. This means that I can set aside enough hours to make my newsletter high quality and also devote a lot of time to LinkedIn, which, FYI, is a great source of new subscribers. I plug my newsletter on LinkedIn almost every day. And then, number four, I have a lot of energy. True. So that means that I can write back to everyone who replies to my newsletter. That is true. I do that. Try me. And I'll make people feel heard and happy and, and I'll build long lasting relationships with them. And also I'll get a sense of what they want, which I can just build back into the newsletter. Now, does this mean, does any of this mean. Do these resources mean that I will gain 100,000 new subscribers every month? No, it doesn't. I must live with the fact that my growth is slower than some others. But whatever. I cannot get lost in outcomes, I cannot control. You cannot get lost in outcomes, you cannot control this process, this process of recognizing what you do have and maximizing that, that's basically what Ryan Reynolds did. That's what he described. He lost budget for expensive movie things. And so he asked himself, what do I have? And one of the things he had, even when budget gets cut, is the ability to write great dialogue, to come up with great ideas. So he maximized that and that is what mattered. That is what made that movie a success. Your resources are all around you. I'll just give you a few examples. Let's say that you're someone who's working a full time job and you need the money and so you can't quit. But your real passion is your side gig and it is going slower than you'd like. So that's frustrating. Is it worth obsessing over how far along you'd be if you had more time for that side gig? Or is it worth focusing on how to make the most of the time that you have? Another example. Let's say you're in a relationship where many things are working but some are not. Is it worth comparing that against a perfect fantasy of a relationship? Or is it worth maximizing the best parts while working to solve the parts that don't work as well? Another one. Let's say your career hasn't gone exactly as you'd planned. Is it worth comparing your life against one where you'd made different decisions? Or is it worth using whatever you have now to build towards something better? This isn't an easy way to think. I understand. It means practice. It means sacrifice. Frustrations will be natural. We don't have all those resources, after all. But ultimately, it's a question of outcome. So here is my final question to you. One more question. Do you want to get it done for real? Do you want to get it done? I'm talking about whatever you're doing. Whatever you want, whatever you dream of. Do you want to get it done? If the answer is yes, then what? Ifs and regrets and feelings of inadequacy will not get you there. Here is what will. It's what you have, what you already have, what you can build from and towards, what you can grow into, what you can shape, what matters to you and will matter to others, what is within your means, what is real, what is possible, what you can feel and touch and control and foster and develop and enable and create and make incredibly meaningful. It is your best work done with the resources available. Help Wanted is a production of Money News Network. Help Wanted is hosted by me, Jason

[Nicole Lapin]

Paul Pfeiffer and me, Nicole Lapin. Our executive producer is Morgan Lavoy. Do you want some help? Email our [e-mail] for the chance to have some of your questions answered on the show. And follow us on Instagram at Money News and TikTok. MoneyNewsNetwork for exclusive content and to see our beautiful faces. Maybe a little dance?

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Oh, I didn't sign up for that.

[Nicole Lapin]

All right, well talk to you soon.

[Jason Pfeiffer]

Sam.