Have you ever gone to the grocery store without a grocery list, then tried to make your meals for the week with a random assortment of products? The meals were inevitably less nutritious and less delicious. There were probably plenty of items you needed but didn’t get, and other items you didn’t need that went to waste.
Grocery shopping is a tactic. Meal planning—including that crucial grocery list—is the strategy. It’s what bridges the gap between a random mishmash of produce and the actual ingredients you need for a satisfying meal.
If it’s that crucial for your weekly grocery run, you can imagine how important the distinction between strategy and tactics is for a business.