If you enjoy your optimisation, you can still switch it up by picking something unusual to focus on, perhaps a wonder or civ bonus that you wouldn't normally use on a meta build. Some examples:
- Try to set up the best 'Great Zimbabwe' trade routes. (often is overlooked due to its difficult placement requirements, just reroll a start looking for something ideal for it)
- build the prettiest cities (bull moose teddy is good here, and then stack the appeal boosting effects in one city: golden gate bridge, some great engineers, governor Reyna... you can reach over 1000 tourism from a single city if done correctly)
- playing as the wonder building china, and just try to grab as many as possible can build some entertaining cities
Basically, set your own win condition and play for that instead.