better instruction
If you are boxed in (lack space) seek trades to free up your position. There are plenty of books that explain it. I'm currently studying Simple Chess by Stean. It has a whole chapter on space. Most of what you describe exists. Annotated GM games often include analysis notes explaining why certain lines weren't take, because it drops a pawn or piece, etc. Many instruction books do the same, often as an aside if it is not part of the 'lesson'. Try Logical Chess by Chernev. It is a collection of GM games selected and annotated for beginners. Every move is explained including many of the ones not made.