Hmm, I dont think there is a shortcut in learning to master any musical instrument, let alone the piano.
You need to practise a lot to improve your technique and sight reading.
And all this drilling definitely takes time.
Time for your brain to process the information, and also time to let your finger muscles to strengthen and become flexible.

If you aren't too bothered about polishing techniques, then try to learn to Play By Ear as suggested earlier by other posters. I know there are some schools teaching students to play by ear without relying on sheet music. Or you could use youtube.com to learn on your own. But to have a teacher would be a great help, because a 3rd party can point out your mistakes (which you may never even notice) and give you suggestions on how to improve your playing. But even then you still need to practise at home, haha , but you can skip those boring scales, arpeggios etc.

So there, my 2 cents