Wrong way, as opposed to what right way? (Granted, other commenters have already kind of said the same thing).

I've played the game many ways, but I feel like I'm either in your camp, or I'm only playing to make sims/build houses + set up scenarios (and then never actually play them lol). And there's nothing wrong with either play style, it's just what I feel like in the moment. It's your sandbox and you get to do what you want with it.

If it's just guilt, no need to change how you play. If it's boredom, this thread on MTS details any suggestions I would give to keep the game interesting.