I came back after a long time of break, what keeps me playing is probably my roleplaying mindset.
I enjoy immersing myself into character that I play (except my character is female and I wouldn't go around asking for free sex once in awhile).
Because I like archer type, I play as archer with a few followers that can take the front line for me or heal me during the battle.
Also, I keep the follower number minimal so that it keeps the game challenging while making it not impossible (those monsters from immersive creatures are tough!)
However, I dislike restricting myself for perk points (simply because I want so many things at once), so I get the mod that allows me to add skill points and try not to spam too much.
Also, I try not to zoom through all the story line or fast travel, instead I enjoy the views (ENB yeahhh) and try to do as much battle as possible, and clear dungeon/camp whenever I feel like to.
In my opinion, just going through the quest line seems pretty boring. So I would randomly branch off for something else and try to take my time while doing it (so no caravan/fast travel for me most of the time).