Let’s take a trip to a friends house across town as an example. We can stare at the map that shows us the way all day long but we will not get an inch closer. So a plan with out action will not get us to our goal. We can hop in the car and drive up and down streets all day long and chances are that you will never arrive at your destination. So action without a plan is also extremely unlikely to get us to our goals. However, the person who sets his destination , uses a map for guidance and then gets in the car and drives is very likely to arrive. So a goal plus planned or meaningful action leads us to our destination.
This is an oversimplification I realize but at the same time quite accurate. All too often we get so caught up in the planning stage that we never seem to get started on the implementation. On the other side I have known way too many people that are busy running in circles all the time. They use huge amounts of action and yet accomplish very little. They are whirling dervishes that no matter how fast they spin don’t seem to be able to achieve their dreams.
The solution, of course, is to do both. To set a plan and then to act upon that plan. Do not expend energy just so that you can say you are in action. Expend energy that moves you in the direction of your plan and presumably your goal. It’s as simple as that.