The problem you are solving, what are the symptoms of it? How does it show itself in the world?
What are the root causes? What are the forces behind the scenes causing the problem and its symptoms?
How do the root causes lead to the problem lead to the symptoms? Those connections form your theory of change. What you’re saying by connecting the dots in the way you do is that if you eliminate a root cause, everything above it should disappear also.
For example, if you say that the root cause of climate change is green house gases, then eliminating green house gases should eliminate climate change. Obviously, most problems have a plethora of root causes, and eliminating just one of them will not solve the whole problem, not to mention the fact that it’s often impossible to eliminate completely.
This is a helpful framework not because it will help you develop a flawless theory of change, but because it will clarify your thinking and help you connect your effort to a root cause. It will also you provide you with a working hypothesis, a baseline, of why you’re doing what you’re doing. After you take action, you will always come back to re-evaluate your theory of change to refine your understanding of the problem.
Keep your theory of change somewhere central. Revisit it often. Stay forever in pursuit of the most efficient way to make the change you seek to make.