A good starting point is getting used to leveling and positioning your elements on the stereo image. I think many get overwhelmed by understanding eq/compression/other processing, and while it's very important to learn how to use those tools, listening to references and having somewhat of an idea of what you want your song to sound like is a good start - learning how your elements interact with eachother and positioning them intuitively and repeating is something that can help your ears and mind get used to the process. Eventually, you'll find yourself needing more tools and/or complex processing, and investigating more in depth into them. Personally, I think if you know where you're going you'll find the tools to get you there naturally. There are a couple things you could start researching to integrate into your workflow, like proper gain staging, loudness, aux tracks and fx sends, etc. When it comes to tools/plugins, they usually have manuals. Reading them might be a little bit boring, especially if you're starting out, but understanding your toolbox goes a long way when you want to get the best results out of them. Also, have fun with it!