"Effort into the wrong things" You have already admitted that it is essentially impossible for one to become a capitalist of his standing, so let's go from there.
First of all, you're using "capitalist" incorrectly. Being a capitalist is about beliefs and behaviors. Anyone can be capitalist. So you need to correct your statement and apply the correct descriptor.
Working people who work hard all day should receive the value of what they produce
The problem is that you are this silly idea of "should" which is completely useless. The only way you will accomplish anything in life is by focusing on what
IS. Working people who work hard all day receive the pay they have agreed to accept. That is what
does happen. If you want to change your situation in life, focus on that, and dealing in the realities instead of the dreams.
or what their work is worth
According to whom?
unfortunately, capitalists rely on surplus value that does not go back to the worker.
Without surplus value, there is nothing available to pay the worker. If I sell $10 widgets at $6 surplus value, I have money available to pay the worker. Without surplus value, I go out of business and the worker goes unemployed and unpaid.
A job is a vehicle to income for the capitalist, it's a necessity for those who want food, shelter, water, clothing, toys for their children.
All you have done here is double down on your own misunderstanding. You need to break free of your stagnant, failing way of thinking that is keeping you poor and unable to move forward in the world.
So let's start again. Your job is how you make money. But your job is not
what makes you money. You need to get this through your head. Most people think of their job as
what makes them money. You come in, you punch the clock, you put forth your hard work for 8 hours, and you punch out at the end of the day. Many people have a misconception that their work at their job is the direct mechanism that earns them money. It's an understandable, but sorely mistaken belief. So what happens is that people put a great deal of effort into the execution of their job, and then believe that they "should" be paid based on how hard they worked at executing that job.
If you can manage to break your mind free of this misguided notion, and start perceiving your job as merely the vehicle through which you make your money instead of the direct cause, you'll have the opportunity to start understanding what the real direct causes of your income are, and how you can wield those causes to your advantage to maximize your income.
unless they somehow manage to become a capitalist, which obviously happens at a massive rate.
Again, you are misusing the word "capitalist." You seem to be mistaking it for "business owner."