Wants-Based Gameplay?

Finding ones player style is never easy, it took me years of various tries before I figured out what would get me going and most of all, keep me entertained in the long run. When it comes to watching your sims rather than micromanage, there are of course things that can be done. Make sure your setting is on full autonomy, for one, but if you do not place your sim in situations where things happen - there is nothing you can do to make things happen. 

Playing of wants can get repetitive fast, but like others have said there are plenty of good wants-mods that can add variation. If you are worried about "getting the wrong link" I recommend Curseforge. You download from the app, and there is no risk of getting it wrong. It's also easy to uninstall mods if a certain one wasn't to your liking. 

If you want to continue without mods there are a few things you can do, depending on which packs you have. 

• Combine wants, fears and aspirations, for greater variety. Even if it's just in your head, using these as "what does X want to do next?" will give you some variation. If you have the bucket list can also add variation to your game. 
• Let traits and lifestyles be a large part of what you decide for your sim - and let these be randomized when aging up. Different traits should result in different wants even in an unmodded game, and you can always decide actions and reactions based on them. 
• If you have Growing Together or Lovestruck sims will react in more different ways towards different people (there are mods to amplify this as well). Adding different dynamics to a relationship will also play a part. 
• Choose an active or semi-active career, and go with your sim to the work place. They are bound to speak to someone during the work day. 
• Use the club feature from Get Together to create clubs that match your sims personality. Start club gatherings and then watch them unfold. As you set up activities for the club, their actions will be more varied than normal game play. 
• Play a challenge of some sort. 

For me, I found out that I like to see my sims have a story, it can be something they have to overcome, something that happens to them, some struggle... it's when it gets too easy that I get bored. Rotational play can also add variation. For me the decades challenge has done the trick, as I need to consider what my sim can do, what they would be likely to do, and it gives me a chance to do what I love - research. I hope you find something that brings back the joy in the game for you.