I mean, effort comes from either time grinding of time thinking. The time to think of an elegant solution is arguably more effort than spending 100 hours brute forcing.

>Some ready to eat food may be better than what you can cook yourself, even some reputable chefs admit it and the efforts they save on these parts let them focus on the parts where they can make a difference.

It's not about putting effort into everything, it's about putting effort into nothing in your life. Sure, if you're fine eating fast food it's fine (just don't let it affect your health too much). It's fine having low quality hobbies as long as you have some other passion in life, even if that passion is as traditional as taking care of your family. It's fine not having passion in work as long as you have an enjoyable hobby. Etc.

But if you cut corners on every aspect of life, you end up without edge. Safe, bland, potentially lifeless. That's what mid life crises are made of when you realize you just existed for 40+ years (most people's better years) and don't really enjoy anything, or anyone.