In the realities of our world, to successfully travel to Paris you must first have a better understanding of Paris than a vague sense of where it is. It is important to know not only that there is an ocean between Leesburg and Paris, but also that France is another country located in a different time-zone, where most people speak a different language, use a different currency and where the government really does prefer that you show up with a valid passport already in hand. We are all planning constantly. Even a mob follows a plan of sorts, it is just poorly conceived and incoherent. Good planning is the result of clearly identifying the result desired, understanding the nature of obstacles in the way and selecting the pathway that will bring the group to a successful conclusion.
Planning is a matter of answering questions.
The starting point on the road to good planning is asking the right questions in the right order. The questions will vary according to the result pursued.