Board blindness

I've just started tournaments so playing a bunch of games at once which helps actually as I find I'm able to focus for a specific period of time and am less distracted/playing while in line for coffee etc. I think that might be a huge leak in my game too - diving in and out on the phone, versus sitting down and really focusing on games. But will take advice to not make any moves before looking at the board for 3 or 4 mins first. Thank you!

In the opening:

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key
3. Castle
4. Connect your rooks

Tactics...tactics...tactics...

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles. Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)

2. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
3. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
4. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
5. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing moves: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) as this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

General Ideas.

1. Stop playing blitz, and bullet.  Play longer time controls of at least G45, or longer.  
2. Follow Opening Principles:

• Control the center.
• Develop minor pieces toward the center.
• Castle.
• Connect your rooks.

1. Study tactics...tactics...tactics.  One of my favorite quotes is this: "Until you reach Master, your first name is tactics, your middle name is tactics, and your last name is tactics”.
2. Double Check your moves.  Before making a move, ask yourself: "Are my pieces safe?"
3. After your opponent moves, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"
4. Analyze your games WITHOUT a chess engine, then have someone stronger go over the games, or post them online for review.
5. DO NOT memorize openings. Learn and understand the pawn structure, and piece placement for the opening you wish to learn.
6. Learn Basics Mates:

• K vs. KQ
• K vs. KR
• K vs. KRR

1. Learn Basic King and Pawn endings.

• KP vs. K
• Opposition

1. Have Fun!

From the late Ken Smith, right? I wonder if he came up with that expression or ripped it off from someone else? ;-)

This is WONDERFUL and so helpful. Thank you! 
A couple questions: why should I not analyze my games with the chess engine?
Can you suggest some good tactics resources?

I honestly don't know.  It was one of those things that always stuck with me.

Chess.com has good puzzles, which can help you. You can also select the theme of them.

The only thing you should be using an engine for is to check for the following:

1. Blunders.

2. Missed tactics.

All this extra useless crap like labeling moves "book", "mistake" "good" "brilliant" etc. is nothing but a waste of time.  It teaches you nothing.  The biggest thing with engines is that they do not teach you "why".  This is why if you're serious abut getting better you will need a chess coach at some point.  A chess coach will be able to explain the "why" behind your moves, unlike an engine which just gives you a bunch of blather that you wont understand.

As far as tactics? 

I will suggest what my coach suggested to me.  It doesn't matter if you use a book or something online.  What does matter id that you use a real board and pieces, and study in 3D. 

Spend no more than 2-3 minutes on a tactic.  If you cant solve it in that amount of time, then its a pattern you do not know. 

When doing tactics you want to look for the following:

1. Material

2. Space

3. Piece activity

4. Weakness(es) in the opponents position

You will have at least 2 of the 4, and at times all 4. 

Forks, pins, etc. are tactical motifs. Motif = theme simply put. 

So is it fair to say any position studied is a tactical analysis and if not, what differentiates a tactical position vs nontactical pos?

I was a proactive student and checked Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_tactic?wprov=sfla1