I have found "The Ostrich Factor" to be a great help in learning how to break an effect down and learn it thoroughly and easily:

http://www.geraldedmundson.com
http://www.sidestreetcircus.com
THE OSTRICH FACTOR: A Practice Guide for Magicians

Well, answering jusa's question, at the moment I don't have a plan to be a magician. Because I know the truth foundation of being a magician is sleight of hand. And sleight of hand is a lifetime skill and dedication. It's like painting. No instant process that could allow someone to achieve it within months time.

As I also don't have any kind of sleight, I do magic tricks as hobby. I realize it somehow challenges me to be creative, to improvise things and planning scripts or patters. I enjoy designing a short performance for my co-workers. I even already got some short routines, I just need a scotch and soda

Anyway, I will read whatever I need to read. Hopefully I would get much insight to overcome my tacky movement.

There are many effects that do not require special sleights, and are beyond the
self-working kind. As I have lost most mobility of my hands due to arthritus and palsy I have had to find alternative mothods of doing what I used to accomplish with sleights. The result has sometimes been a better effect that the one I did previoulsy.

So, find effects you both like and can do -- then just do it. You may find the audience cares more for 'your' magic that you can imagine.

After reading this I watched Pop Haydn perform the linking rings on video. Even though it's such a classic and I know exactly how he does it, it was such a joy to watch.... A fantastic performance that needed nothing new.

I would love to learn sleight, but sometimes we now rely on gimmick too. So I thought I would just focus on double life and pinky break. I would love to learn false cut, EC, etc.

I am trying to focus on the basics, but allow myself one gimmick trick per set. (I only entertain my family, but they seem to enjoy it). I figure with the basic sleights down I can add in more gaffs later, but if I rely on them now I will never be any good.
Just my approach.

Same as me here. Basic sleight with simple gaff still do a kicker result.

Yeah I like the gaffs but am slowly making my way through the Royal Road and praticing the sleights.... still very early stages but I have already learnt a few moves that will be killer when put into action and will leave people wondering how you could of "fully shuffled the cards" yet still pluck the desired cards out from wherever you want them to be. None of them are as difficult as I would of thought either (so far), though I'm yet to pull them off in front of people lol........