Effort doesn’t just build things. It builds you.
Have you ever noticed that the things you work hardest for often mean the most?
Psychologists call this the IKEA Effect.
It’s the tendency to value things more when we’ve put effort into building, creating, or attaining them.
Cook a meal from scratch.
Edit your own video.
Build a website yourself.
Assemble flat-pack furniture.
When effort goes in, value goes up.
When things come too easily, they often feel… disposable.
Not always — but often enough that researchers decided to study it.
My Personal IKEA Effect
When my partner and I bought our first house, we couldn’t afford renovations.
We got it for a bargain price because it needed so much work. It had been on the market for a year. Most people were put off by the scale — and cost — of the project.
So we did it ourselves. With help from family.
Before that, my DIY experience extended to changing a light bulb.
Our first purchases were two screwdrivers and a hammer — which we used to rip out the old kitchen.
But within a few months of working alongside my Dad on some days, Uncle John on others, and family friends and friends of friends on yet some others, I learned how to do most things, and I assembled a significant collection of tools.
Over five months we:
- Took down walls
- Put new ones up
- Replaced floors
- Fitted a kitchen
- Decorated
- And I even built a window frame from scratch because the previous one was damaged.
The pride I felt has stayed with me for years.
I valued that house far more than if we’d paid someone else to transform it.
(Though if you have the money and not the time, that’s completely valid!) But psychologically? Something powerful was happening.
The Science of the IKEA Effect
In a classic study by Michael I. Norton and colleagues, participants assembled IKEA storage boxes. Afterwards, they were asked how much they would be willing to pay for them.
Their valuations were significantly higher than those of people who were given identical, pre-assembled boxes.
The same pattern emerged with origami and Lego constructions.
It’s because when we invest effort, we inflate value.
This is sometimes called the Effort Paradox:
We say we want convenience. But psychologically, effort often makes experiences richer.
Why It Boosts You
Putting effort into something fulfils a fundamental human need: self-efficacy — the sense that “I can influence my world.”
That need was central to the self-affirmation research I wrote about in a previous Better You, Backed by Science.
When we build, create, or solve something ourselves, we reinforce:
- “I am capable.”
- “I can figure things out.”
- “I can shape my environment.”
That boost isn’t just momentary pride.
It strengthens identity.
At work, this is why people feel more motivated when they help design projects or shape their environment. Ownership increases engagement.
Effort makes meaning.
And meaning fuels wellbeing.
We live in a world designed for convenience.
But a meaningful life isn’t built from convenience alone.
Every time you choose effort over ease, you’re not just building a thing.
You’re building evidence.
Evidence that you are capable.
Evidence that you can grow.
Evidence that you can shape your world.
And that kind of evidence compounds over a lifetime.
A better you is built — not bought.
Try This
Instead of avoiding effort this week, add one small, meaningful effort component to something convenient.
Here are a few science-backed ways to do it:
1. The 10% Rule
Take something you normally outsource or automate — and add 10% more personal involvement.
- Cook one meal from scratch.
- Handwrite a note instead of sending a text.
- Design your own workout rather than following a template.
2. Build Before You Buy
Before purchasing something ready-made, ask:
“Could I attempt part of this myself?”
Even partial involvement boosts ownership.
3. Learn Something “Unnecessary”
Choose one small skill that isn’t required — but stretches you:
- Edit a video.
- Fix something minor.
- Learn basic DIY.
- Try a new recipe technique.
The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s participation.
4. The Effort Reflection
After completing something effortful, ask:
- What did I learn?
- What surprised me?
- What does this say about my capability?
This cements the self-efficacy effect.
Want to Explore More?
Watch my YouTube video where I dive deeper into how effort rewires how we see ourselves.
Research
Norton, M. I., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2012). The IKEA Effect: When Labor Leads to Love. Journal of Consumer Psychology. Link here.
🧠 Science Insight
The IKEA Effect isn’t about furniture.
It’s about identity.
When effort leads to successful completion, the brain encodes it as evidence of competence. That reinforces self-efficacy — a known predictor of resilience, motivation, and long-term wellbeing.
Effort builds more than outcomes.
It builds belief.
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