How to set up an effective plan of action

Part two of "The Art of Taking Action"
Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the action stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. 
Anais Nin
Imagine Your Life Is Perfect In Every Respect; What Would It Look Like?
Brian Tracy

1. How to start? Where to start? 
As an amateur artist, when I had the vision to have an Art show for the first time, I had no clue how to make it happen!
Should I show up in person to galleries? Would they even take me seriously? Or should I apply online to galleries with the risk of being overlooked in the multitude of emails they receive? Should I create a professional portfolio of all my artwork, or only the series I wanted to show? Should I try and contact some artists for recommendations?
It’s so easy to fall into analysis paralysis when we’re trying something new, or reaching a higher level of our work.
We know taking action is key, but how can we know which actions will move us forward — versus waste our time? 
Clarifying an effective action plan is absolutely essential. Here are some steps to get there:
Step 1. Think from the desired result, then go backwards 
Begin with the end in mind.
Stephen Covey
What actions do you think could make the most difference? These are the ones to focus on. 
In my case, it was key to know what each gallery required before spending hours preparing a portfolio. Were they accepting applications? Did they need an electronic file or an in person meeting? That meant my first action was to go into each gallery I was interested in and ask.
Similarly, if you want to change careers, you need to first know the requirements for your dream job, and then possibly the best training to prepare you for it.
If you aim to speak a new language, it’s best to make sure you have a sense of the right pronunciation before you learn lots of vocabulary, or else you wouldn’t understand or be understood in conversation!
Don’t just do it, but rather do it because it’s worth doing.
Mike Myatt

Step 2. Save time and get oriented with experienced people
Every field has its own particularities that you can’t know unless you’re on the inside… or know someone who is. Experience is irreplaceable to get the lay of the land!
No matter how much research I could do online, I would never grasp the concrete reality of what it takes to show my Art in galleries (or what works best to learn a new language, or what it’s like to work in a given job) without talking to people with more experience in these fields!
In order to orient yourself effectively and save time, ask people who are further along on the path of your choice to tell you what worked and didn’t work for them. Their real life experience will save you a lot of time!
Don't reinvent the wheel, just realign it.
Anthony J. D'Angelo

Knowing what you need to do, and knowing how other people have done it, gives you a map of the territory you need to cover. It’s the beginning of an informed action plan that has a strong chance of working (exciting!). So much of success is in the preparation.
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Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.
Abraham Lincoln