Moving from 1st to 2nd level thinking: a (probably dumb) question

[PinkSteel]

Thanks to this forum, I can now hold my own at $25NL. But I don't think my thinking is advancing with the play.

Specifically, I know the general guidelines for aggression and probabilities, but it's all first-level thinking stuff. Make continuation bets if you're preflop aggressor, unless the pot is multiway. Charge potential draws, get them to make a Sklansky error. Play a smaller pot with your high PPs. Etc.

But to the experienced, this has to seem like a lazy imitation of playing real poker. It's the 2nd level I usually don't step through. "My opponent raised preflop from MP, so could be holding [ x, x, x ]; so given this flop and his lead bet, I can read him for [ x, x ]; so I should definitely [ raise, fold ]." I occasionally think this way, but it's definitely harder to do.

Apart from sheer determination to develop this thinking process, basically practice at the tables trying to consciously do it, do any of the more experienced out there have some words of wisdom for developing that second-level thinking quicker? Someone want to just call me a lazy bastard and tell me to concentrate more?