One thing that no one ever tells you, ever, is that you need to first try to realize that chess is a numeric game, i.e. a game of accumulating small, measurable advantages. Computers have helped us realize that a big deal, but rarely do you see anyone speaking to that in the context of comprehending the game fundamentals.
Place the knight in the corner and see how many squares it can reach, then place it in the center and compare. Hopefully, that gives you a clue ... Don't study openings, please, that will delay your development for a long time. I am a 2200 player and I don't know openings - maybe first two or three moves and the names of opening systems associated with that, but that's about it.
I play through the center, try to maximize my pieces strength, gain space. King safety can be also quantified, because king "unsafety" increases your opponent's pieces mobility when they gain a tempo by checking the king. Also, initiative is worth probably a pawn. Nothing but quantitative considerations, as you can see ...
This way I aim to accumulate positional advantages or, in numeric terms, increase the value of my position, which, at some point, will manifest in tactical opportunities.
Good luck on your journey!
P.S. Sorry, I made it sound almost like you need to calculate the value of each move in a computer fashion - you don't have to. I sort of "eyeball" relative strengths of moves along the considerations above to choose the one that will improve my position the most.