Since you don't like loading screens maybe you can rotational play if you don't already, especially in areas you haven't had your sims live in before so it doesn't get stale. I tend to start my sims in certain hoods but it's usually refreshing to me to force myself to do something unfamiliar and often I learn something about an area I didn't see before. Personally I like the day to day including jogging, collecting and gardening and fishing and I like getting familiar with the different areas doing this it's always fun to me to look at areas from a different perspective.
I also really like the work from home or living off the land and sim skills possibilities those can often tie in well for sims that don't like to leave home.
Clubs are great too once you meet other sims (or to draw them in) I especially like them for helping to complete aspirations, make money or just cause drama/havoc for my sims.
Some challenges are fun to me if less challenging and more about seeing things you haven't before. More like game guidelines than challenges. I did one where I made two roomate sims with opposite traits you had to advance them in their career and skills but only play one a week for about a sim year. It was fun to me to see how the other roomate slipped or succeeded when I wasn't controlling them. I also got to see more of what the sims traits do this way since I couldn't micromanage them every second I played.
I'm not a big mod user but sometimes I start a save just to experience a mod... especially one that changes or adds to gameplay. I usually strip the mods out later but it was a different way to play for awhile.. and if I limit it to one save it's not a big loss when you take that mod out.
Mostly my advise is to .. play a different or slightly different way. It helps me get out of a rut anyway.
