Stop going from one guild (or main) quest to the next, using fast travel to go from the questgiver to the objective and then back again. You will be able to complete quests and entire plotlines very quickly that way. Try going on foot to the next quest destination - stop in any towns or villages along the way and check in the tavern or Jarl's longhouse to see if there are any bounties or tasks you can take on. Do those on your way across the map, and explore any interesting locations you come across while wandering.
This is why I don't personally use fast travel, because if I am given a quest in Winterhold that requires I go to Markarth and back again, it could all be over within half an hour if I fast travel. Because I travel everywhere on foot, the same quest takes me 4 days in real time, and I end up both getting new miscellaneous quests and completing existing ones along the way. A quest that sends you from Winterhold to Markarth and back again is only short because you make it so by your own play decisions.
^ ^
This.
Ogrug Bolag, on 03 December 2011 - 04:07 PM, said:
Im dissapointed. I like skyrim, played around 80 hours so far, but it feels like skyrim was rushed...Guilds are a joke, 4 hours to become the archmage? wut? I liked Companions, but it ended too soon...I thought there's gonna be some fight between Aela and brothers to be or not be werewolves anymore, Main quest wasnt so bad, but ending was poorly made too, civil war is short..there's a lot of another quests for sure, but they're all based on the same thing..maybe im the only one, but I enjoyed oblivion more...skyrim with oblivion side quests and hugely improved civil war as the main quest would be a pure epicness in my opinion. Are the dark brotherhood and thieves guild longer? Probably not :/
This isn't WOW. It's NOT all about leving up to get achievements--you're most likely bored because of the way you play---a non stop completion of the main quest line, with cheats?? and a lot of fast traveling. If this is the way you play, you're missing out on A LOT. Consider taking a vacation from any sort of questing. :biggrin: I've put in some 70+ hours so far just walking everywhere to explore the wilderness, just so I can get locations on the map. The key is to get as many locations to show up on the map--
without exploring any of them--so that you don't end up breaking side/faction/miscellaneous quests. This sort of reconaissance frees you to go back and finish off the side/faction/miscellaneous quests later. If none of what I say below interests you, then you might want to consider modding---this never gets old.--at least for me anyways.
I play for full immersion to get the best of my experience. Which means establishing a daily routine of sneaking/walking everywhere. Once or twice I'll use the carriage at the stables if I'm near a hold and overloaded with loot. After 8-9pm, I'll break off adventuring and make camp sleeping in wilderness at a deserted campsite, or in an inn at the nearest town. I even go as far as making my Nord Battlemage get up early around 5am to hunt/fish/cook his breakfast (and dinner) meals each day! I must have spent about 3-4 game weeks so far making an open ended mini game of just hunting (for food and smithing), mining/smelting/crafting armor and weapons, gathering ingredients to make potions, fishing (by swiming both underwater and hiking through the rapids), camping out in the great outdoors, or participating in random world events (like freeing a storm cloak prisoner or protecting a citizen from bandits/beast etc) you encounter on the roads and in the wilderness.
And then there is the ability to make an open ended mini game of being the biggest Giggolo in Skyrim :hubbahubba: Spent a good amount of time figuring out which potential NPCs would make the best marriage partners. Made a personal quest of visiting as many holds/towns to find out which ones best compliment my Battle mage's fighting style and---since he's the materialistic sort---find out which ones are loaded/rich. Once you marry the more affluent NPCs, their homes/shops become yours. So all that lies between you and their many possessions is a timely accident....
You can also pass time going daedra hunting with your mage guild buddys, or Dwarven tomb raiding with your companion homeboys, or even followers you meet in dungeons. Or get into regular tavern brawls, read and collect books (that help you with Skyrim lore/questing/crafting/skilling up), craft and hunt to save up money to buy your houses or invest in a shop. For a real novelty, make a habit of poisoning yourself regularly by eating potion ingredients you come across in the wilderness. Teach yourself these ingredient effects by eating them--especially the more exotic ones you come across. My Nord has developed a bizzare fetish for eating and collecting giant toes and vampire dust :laugh: So he typically takes his mage buddies on these more dangerous hunting expeditions. For the less dangerous ventures like gathering butterfly wings or mining/smelting, he'll typically bring his current wife along to act as pack mule.

The list of non questing stuff available is only limited by your immagination.
Ever since escaping Helgen, I focused on faction quests and an open ended game play as a main strategy. It turned out to be the best srategy so far, because being nuetral has allowed me to focus on the faction and side quests. Basically skill/level up, get some decent magical armor from Thieves Guild, Daedric and DB quests---all without the headache of having to battle dragons or a civil war faction while my character is leveling up. And being the DB and Theives Guild masters come with some great perks to help out in the main quest later.
All of this activity was completely open ended with no quest in mind. I just bascially took a more relaxing , and fun approach to leveling up in skills. By walking everywhere, I leveled up in my sneaking and archery skill without it being a chore. I've also gotten to over level 65 in blacksmithing, heavy armor, mele weaponry, potion making, enchanting.
End of the mini thesis .

My point is that perhaps if you considerd taking advantage of the game's open sand box features, you wouldn't be as fatiguted or burned out as you sound in your post

just something to consider. It's a strategy that has given me the best bang for my buck so far.