[vikaveri]

Doing without thinking first is a recipe for disaster, but often doing is required to confirm your thinking. And of course, it helps to think even more afterwards, see what else you can learn that you didn't think of beforehand. Doing without thinking is probably how most Darwin award winners are made

[koonsolo]

I would say doing without thinking is better than thinking without doing. I know plenty of successful people in the first group, and plenty of unsuccessful people in the second. But opinions might differ.

[coolnow]

What do you define as successful? Purely by financial success or does it include a good work/family life balance with kids etc?

[koonsolo]

It includes everything that you mention. I know people who constantly read books about finances, health, relationships, ... . They are broke, health is terrible, depressions, ... . If they would just apply what they read, it would be fine. But they don't.

And then there are the 'sales type'-guys if you know what I mean. They just talk and do: have their finances more or less straight, have a family, lots of social connections, ... .

I agree that both thinking and doing is best (as hopefully most here are doing). But if I have to choose, I would choose doing over thinking.