Karma, action, keeps the individual going like credit cards keep people tethered to a job they hate just so they can keep paying bills. Action is caused by desire. Desire comes from a conviction of my own imperfection or limitation. That I am limited is not exactly true. Action leads to limited results.
Limited results inspire more action.
More action brings more limited results which inspires more desire. The action rat race is based on the error that I am a limited person. The result of action is called phalam, fruit. Just like real fruit, it decays. Even heaven, which people gain by doing good deeds, is not believed in Hinduism to last forever.