Counterpoint: Creating a Plan is Not Work
Work means productivity, and productivity is the combination of progress and results. Creating a plan is necessary, but in my book creating a plan is not work.
Yes, creating a plan can lead to work because it facilitates progress. However, creating a plan doesn’t count towards work because it doesn’t produce results.
In order to produce results, something tangible must happen. If you make the mistake of treating a plan as a tangible work product you can actually make things worse. This is because after the plan is complete you start thinking you’ve earned a break, a reward, or a pat on the back.
While it may be true that it takes effort to create a plan, creating a plan is nothing to celebrate until after you actually work the plan.