So for the shoot I am emphasizing "Focus on the center of the reticle, always" per YHJ. I keep trying to remind myself that I can't hit what I can't see.
Sounds to me like you're heading in the right direction, and YHJ's suggestions are outstanding. Note, though, that there's only one step to firing a shot that has anything to do with being able to see the target, and that's getting your sight picture.
Honestly being able to see the target clearly is both the greatest benefit of using a scope, and also it's greatest curse. You can absolutely hit what you can't see.
I shot a CMP M1 Carbine match this past weekend, and the aperture is too large to give much if any focus benefit, so pretty much all day I was shooting at a very fuzzy grey blob. Truth is it didn't really make much difference. Once you establish your Natural Point of Aim (this is critically important), you can align your NPA with a fuzzy grey blob just as easily as you can align it with a crisp, clear target. Once you've got your NPA aligned with the target, you could shoot it with your eyes closed over and over again (note, I'm not recommending this, but as a mental process it's a useful thought exercise).
The biggest danger to using a scope is that it makes it so, so easy to "cheat" yourself and nudge the reticle over to the center of the target instead of shifting or establishing your NPA. The crystal clear scope vision makes it oh so tempting to think you've found your natural point of aim when in fact you're really in the "kinda sorta close but not quite there" neighborhood. I learned this the hard way.

Lately I've been reading David Tubb's book called "Highpower Rifle", and I will share a couple of quotes from his book (if you don't know who he is, he is arguably the greatest Highpower rifle shooter ever, with over 35 national titles). While Highpower Rifle is not Appleseed, the positions and shooting elements are virtually identical.
Take into mind that Highpower rifle is not a seeing contest, it's a shooting contest...The challenge, therefore, is not to see the target, but to see the sight. I prefer to see everything clearly, but it truly does not matter what the target looks like...
Shooting a rifle well requires mastery and execution of a combination of several skills; however there is none that is of more importance than natural point of aim (npa). It is your understanding, pursuit, and recognition of natural point of aim that will largely determine your success as a shooter.
There is in my opinion no better place I've ever been to learn natural point of aim than Appleseed. If you can REALLY get that part down, you don't really even need to see the target at all to hit it. As proof of this, I got a nice CMP achievement badge on Saturday, shooting all day at a fuzzy grey blob that I could barely see most of the time.