Sometimes they are just running around aimlessly.
When you play Russia, they will always do so as long as you became big enough and destroyed your forts.
I did my first WC with Third Rome Russia in 1.22. Several things, with which OP is struggling can't/shouldn't be fixed with ideas, I think.
The ideas I went with
1. Influence: Since getting idea groups requires admin tech and the first 3 idea groups unlock your national ideas, I don't see why you should pick an admin idea group first. Military is also a no-go, since you need tech parity. Influence helps alot with vassal feeding, more than diplomacy
2. Aristocratic: Not many people here use it, but I think it's highly worth it. When you hit admin 7, you should swim in military points you need to sink, so MIL idea group now. Cav combat and cost is ok and useful in early, tech cost reduction is always worth, third one is nice when absolutism hits, more manpower worth, tradition decay lowered very worse. Your army quality relies alot on generals, so everything making your generals better is much more worth it than another 5% discipline or +10% combat ability. And army tradition is together with general pips the way to go. Diplomat is absolutely necessary if influence and not diplo first. 20% more mercs might be needed early and land leader siege is awesome. Aristocratic makes vassal feeding expansion much better and combines the best things of offensive and quantity. Great group overall, with good events also.
3. Admin: obvious reasons. Plus with admin completely filled out, you can unlock a policy to reduce diplo annexation cost. Key for vassal feeding and why you shouldn't delay that group or not fill it out completely.
4. Quantity: at that point I could need more manpower, had to choose military to sink mil points, you could get offensive instead. Together with aristocracy, full orthodox boni, Russia and WC I had a max manpower reserve above 2 million in early 18th century, making any losses irrelevant. I had a forcelimit of over a million I didn't come close to at any time. And I needed nearly no mercs at all. Every time I called streltsy I got 300k or more. This becomes pretty much an "I win button" if any enemy stack marches to your capital. Ofcourse you can also take offensive instead.
5. Religious: If you have the admin point spare, take it as fourth, very well for orthodox Russia. I didn't get One Faith in my run though not for picking religious this late than not getting all extra missionaries fast enough.
6. Offensive: absolutely useful in late game because of the siege ability. The other boni are nice but you don't need them when you have great generals by keeping army tradition up.
7. Diplomacy: mostly because of the -20% war cost reduction for provinces, but also diplomat, diplomatic reputation and diplo relations are highly useful. Could be picked earlier, too.
8. Quality: absolutely not needed at all, just didn't know what else to take this late. I could have taken no group at all, maybe better.
General advice:
1. Don't waste a slot for economic, trade or something for money. Just blob more.
2. Blob in the right direction. Ignore Europe when you can't get something without much cost. Push through hordes to Persia to conquer India, Arabian Peninsula, Africa. It's useful for you to destroy Kalmar Union and PLC before it forms, but you don't need to blob in Europe.
3. If you can, take extra missionary sites from Ottos. It's Jerusalem/Al Quuds and the pentarchy sites. Control of bosporus node is also nice for Russia. I did this late in mid 18th century, so I couldn't one faith anymore.
4. It's enough time to start destroying Ming in 1750 if you took all ideas needed for max blobbing, use client states, imperialism CB and max absolutism.
Edit: Develop for early institutions. For the first three I did it. The later ones you can get otherwise. Use spare points for that, you'll lose soon more to tech upkeep.
