Study arising Middlegame Positions

Instead of spending too much time to understand an opening, some coaches and trainers recommend to focus on the arising middlegame positions. Look for reference games for inspiration how to continue after you run out of your theory. Learn and memorize the opening theory in an efficient way and then spend your time on more complex topics. Run your played games against your repertoire to find novelties that played by you or your opponent. Analyze these positions and make adjustments to your repertoire if necessary.